Two skyscrapers blown up in India
The illegally built skyscrapers are collapsing. photo
© Altaf Qadri/AP/dpa
In a few seconds the skyscrapers collapsed. Experts from several countries were involved in the explosion.
In India, two 100 meter high illegally built skyscrapers have been blown up. The twin towers collapsed within about nine seconds to the cheers of spectators, as could be seen in television images from the NDTV station on Sunday morning.
The Supreme Court ordered the destruction a year ago because the private builder had violated building regulations for the residential buildings. At the time, the court also ordered action to be taken against government employees who had accepted the building plans and to compensate buyers of the apartments.
The controlled demolition took place in a densely populated area near the capital, New Delhi. With 3,700 kilograms of explosives, the lower floor was to collapse first and then the higher floors, a representative of the company commissioned with the demolition said in advance, according to local television station NDTV. It was therefore expected that the explosion would cause small tremors that would be felt up to 30 meters away. Experts from several countries were involved in the explosion.
Thousands of residents had to leave their homes
Several thousand residents of surrounding buildings were asked to leave their homes on Sunday. Among other things, you should also hang up paintings and leave windows closed. Adjoining buildings were covered in advance with a special fabric to protect them from dust. Stray dogs and cows were also taken away before the explosion, local media reported. During the blast there was a temporary ban on flying in the area and traffic was also restricted.
No residents had ever moved into the two blown up towers. After the blast, workers had to clean up tons of debris.