Disasters & Accidents

India’s Noida twin towers razed in just 9 seconds

New Delhi, Aug 28 (EFE).- Two skyscrapers that were over 30-storeys tall were demolished in just nine seconds Saturday on the outskirts of New Delhi using over 3,700 kg of explosives.

The twin towers of Noida, a planned city north of the capital, reached a height of 103 and 97 meters each and are the tallest buildings to be demolished in India, following the razing of a 68-meter-tall hotel in 2020.

The demolition of the two skyscrapers has ended a nine-year legal battle between residents of the nearby buildings and the company in charge of their construction.

In 2021, the Supreme Court of India ordered the demolition of the Noida Twin Towers citing construction regulations had been violated.

Security forces evacuated some 5,000 locals on Saturday and covered the neighboring homes with huge tarps to protect them during the demolition.

Road and air traffic were diverted half an hour before an immense cloud of dust enveloped the area following the razing.

The police established a 450-meter exclusion zone around the demolition which has generated some 55,000 tons of waste.

Residents were told to wear masks at home to protect themselves from the dust during the 15 minutes authorities expected it would take for the large cloud of dust to settle.

The demolition was broadcast live on several televisions, and Indian media followed the event from early in the morning with great anticipation.

“I have been getting goosebumps since morning. I am a little nervous but confident as well,” Utkarsh Mehta, the project leader of the engineering firm tasked with the demolition, told Delhi NDTV television ahead of the operation.

Social networks were also flooded with photos and videos of the towers Saturday night with hundreds of people snapping last-minute mementos of the buildings.

EFE

hbc/ch

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