MARTA Bus Photo Bombs Georgia Dome Implosion

ATLANTA, GA — By now the Georgia Dome's implosion is history, but what Atlantans and online viewers everywhere are still watching and talking about is a momentous photo bomb of the event. As explosives took down the 29-story building in a cloud of dust, an event broadcast on live TV Monday morning, one television network's live shot was blocked at the crucial moment by a MARTA bus.

From a demolition aspect everything went largely as planned during the 7:31 a.m. demolition, according to media reports. (Watch the unimpeded video below and the blocked shot.) But The Weather Channel's setup at street level of the big bang was ruined live, on the air and around the country when a MARTA bus driver pulled up to watch the stadium crumble. As the first detonation sent smoke into the air, the bus stops, and the network's cameraman can be heard saying, "No bus get out of the way."

Smoke and debris rained down behind the bus, while behind the camera a string of expletives, since bleeped on the network's video, were spewed. "What the ..." and visible groans came from the ruined shot.

On its website, the network had some fun with the incident, posting this headline: "The Weather Channel's Georgia Dome Implosion View Got Ruined by an Atlanta Bus and So Did Our Cameraman's Day." Cameraman James Crugnale was behind the video gone awry.

Video Editor Jason Rudge turned the clip into a GIF on Twitter, posting: (that feel when) you stream the #GAdome being demolished for 40 minutes and a bus stops in front of the camera at the exact moment it implodes."

A MARTA spokeswoman told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that with the risks involved in the implosion, "If this is the biggest story, we’re really glad about that.”

One small section of the Georgia Dome's wall remained standing after the implosion, according to media reports. Workers need to check whether explosive charges in those sections went off, an official with the demolition contractor said.

There was no damage to nearby buildings, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which stands 80 feet from the Georgia Dome site, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Here's the Weather Channel's clip:

And clear footage of the implosion:

Image: A dust cloud engulfs the Mercedes-Benz Stadium following the implosion of the Georgia Dome, which was next door to the stadium, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017, in Atlanta. The Dome was the home of the Atlanta Falcons, hosted Super Bowls and the 1996 Summer Olympic Games among other sporting events. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)