03-30-2008 Philadelphia, 8:30 AM
The Philadelphia Housing Authority has imploded an 18-story, public housing high-rise.

Mantua Hall came down in a matter of seconds just after 8:30 a.m. Sunday.

The agency said high-rise public housing has become outdated. Next year, it plans to build a modern, "low-rise" community to replace Mantua Hall.

PHA said the implosion marked the 21st high-rise building it has taken down since the mid-1990s.

Mantua is a neighborhood in West Philadelphia.