Watch botched detonation of famous Silverdome which leaves stadium still standing

An iconic stadium in the US state of Michigan - the Pontiac Silverdome - that was set for partial demolition on Sunday (3 December) is still standing thanks to failed wiring.

Officials gathered at around 8:30am to witness the blast, expected to destroy metal beams holding the upper section of the structure in place. But as one stunned city spokesperson told US media outlet Fox 2 Detroit: "What was supposed to happen, did not."

The demolition team - managed by the Detroit-based Adamo Group - said the detonation weakened the Silverdome but confirmed there were no further explosions planned for Sunday. According to Fox 2, experts said the building could fall in on its own.

The blasts on Sunday were just the beginning of a year-long project to demolish the stadium, once host to a 93,000-strong mass with Pope John Paul II in 1987.

Since opening back in 1975, the 80,000 capacity structure has been used for sports events and concerts. Notable bands have included Led Zeppelin, U2 and Elvis Presley.

Rick Cuppetilli, the executive vice president with Adamo, told the Detroit Free Press following the incident that 10% of the charges had failed to go off due to wiring issue.

"Unless we find something in the next few hours researching the wiring, we will take it down mechanically," Cuppetilli said. "We haven't found the wire yet."

Kevin Lindke, the project's superintendent, told Michigan Live: "At some point, gravity is gonna take over, one of these sections is gonna go and it's gonna rip everything with it. Everything is gonna come down. If it doesn't go, we'll come back."

Pontiac mayor Deirdre Waterman, described the event as "a little unscripted." She told the Detroit Free Press: "We're listening to the demolition contractors and I think people got excitement, got a chance to share their memories and their nostalgia a little bit longer than we expected."

It's unclear what will eventually become of the legendary arena. But mayor Waterman was optimistic in a statement prior to the planned implosion: "I can't tell you exactly what's going on right now. There's lots of talks [...] we look forward to what's to come in the future of this valuable site."