Plumes of dust as India demolishes illegally constructed skyscrapers
- The Apex and Ceyane towers, 103 metres tall with 850 unoccupied flats, were found to have violated multiple building regulations and fire safety norms
- More than 3,700kg of explosives were used in the controlled demolition, with crowds watching from nearby buildings cheering as the towers collapsed
Indian authorities demolished two illegally constructed skyscrapers in a wide plume of dust debris on Sunday near the capital New 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-metre (338-feet) tall towers collapsed from a controlled demolition and the dust enveloped the residential area.
The Supreme Court last year ordered the demolition of the Apex and Ceyane towers in the Noida area after a long legal battle found they violated multiple building regulations and fire safety norms.
More than 3,700kg of explosives were used around 2.30pm local time, officials told local media. Strategically placed explosives were meant to ensure minimal damage to the area.
The controlled implosions were India’s biggest demolition to date, local media reported.
Police said they were assessing whether any damage had occurred. Nearby residents said they would check whether their properties had been damaged. Such demolitions are rare in India despite rampant illegal construction.
Thousands had vacated their flats near the blast site for about 10 hours, and scores of police and emergency personnel were deployed for the demolition of the towers containing 850 unoccupied flats.
Traffic was being slowly restored and firefighters were using water sprinklers to bring the dust levels down around the towers, which had stood on the edge of a busy highway linking India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, to the capital.