Indian authorities have demolished two illegally constructed skyscrapers in a wide plume of dust debris outside Delhi, razing the tallest structures ever pulled down in the country in less than 10 seconds.
Crowds watching the collapse from rooftops on nearby high-rise buildings cheered and clapped as the 103 meters (338ft) tall towers collapsed during a controlled demolition.
The supreme court last year ordered the destruction of the towers in the Noida area after a long legal hearing found they violated multiple building regulations and fire safety standards.
The 32 floors of "Apex" and the 29 of "Ceyane", containing between them nearly 1,000 apartments that were never inhabited in nine years of legal disputes, were brought down in seconds, creating an immense cloud of dust and debris.
The controlled implosions using 3,700 kilograms of explosives were India's biggest demolition to date, local media reported.
Thousands of people, as well as stray dogs, had to be evacuated before the blast, including from neighboring high-rises, one of which was reportedly just nine meters away. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to nearby buildings but a local official told reporters that the operation had gone "largely as planned".
Crowds watching the collapse from rooftops on nearby high-rise buildings cheered and clapped as the 103 meters (338ft) tall towers collapsed during a controlled demolition.
The supreme court last year ordered the destruction of the towers in the Noida area after a long legal hearing found they violated multiple building regulations and fire safety standards.
The 32 floors of "Apex" and the 29 of "Ceyane", containing between them nearly 1,000 apartments that were never inhabited in nine years of legal disputes, were brought down in seconds, creating an immense cloud of dust and debris.
The controlled implosions using 3,700 kilograms of explosives were India's biggest demolition to date, local media reported.
Thousands of people, as well as stray dogs, had to be evacuated before the blast, including from neighboring high-rises, one of which was reportedly just nine meters away. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to nearby buildings but a local official told reporters that the operation had gone "largely as planned".
