In Pics: Supertech's twin towers razed to the ground

The Supertech twin towers in Noida were demolished, a year after the Supreme Court's direction to raze the illegally built structures to the ground. The nearly 100-metre-high structures – taller than Delhi's iconic Qutub Minar (73 metres) – were brought to the ground in seconds literally like a house of cards by the 'waterfall implosion' technique, in a breathtaking spectacle of modern-day engineering.

The Supertech twin towers in Noida came crashing down within a span of nearly nine seconds after the use of 3,700 kg explosives on August 28. Credit: AFP Photo

The action was taken almost a year after the Supreme Court's direction to raze the illegally built structures to the ground. Credit: PTI Photo

The tallest towers to be demolished in the country -- Ceyane (29 floors) and Apex (32 floors) -- were part of the Emerald Court project of Supertech Ltd and were found to be in violation of multiple regulations regarding construction. Credit: PTI Photo

Demolished via a 'controlled implosion', a lot of preparation had been done to ensure minimal damage to the surroundings. Credit: PTI Photo

The airspace was closed for about 30 minutes and surface traffic was also diverted. Credit: PTI Photo

Mumbai-based Edifice Engineering, hired for the project, carried out the demolition work and master blaster Chetan Dutta pressed the button. Credit: PTI Photo

The twin buildings, which comprise 915 flats and are located just nine metres from Emerald Court's Aster-2 apartment block, were fully rigged with explosives and wired up. Credit: AFP Photo

Over 5,000 residents of Emerald Court and ATS Village were told to vacate the premises by 7.30 a.m. They will be allowed to return only after safety clearance from the officials is obtained. Credit: AFP Photo

Demolition of Supertech's twin towers in Noida. Credit: PTI Photo