It makes sense to me to think that the first priority was the safety of the rescuers picking their way through the rubble. With hundreds of tons of pick-up sticks stacked precariously above and the hope of survivors underneath, finesse work is exactly what would have been called for.

Also, note the lack of rust on the slag and the cut. If that cut had been done before the collapse, they would have been sprayed with water like everything else and would have rusted like everything else. But they are clean. That cut was made after the area was deluged.