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ASTI Strike Attack
on America
Before
the AttackThe Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre stand bold and beautiful overlooking New York. The landmark skyscrapers soared a spectacular 110 stories into the air, making them the focal point of the Manhattan skyline. A total of 50,000 people worked in the two towers, which were home to commodity exchanges, investment firms, banks, law firms, a hotel and underground shopping mall. The towers were completed in 1976.
The
Attack
Two planes hijacked by kamikaze terrorists slammed into the twin towers.There
was no safe haven in the burning, crumbling towers. Many terrified occupants
hung outside windows, gulping in fresh air and crying for rescuers who
could not reach them. Rather than risk certain death in the flames, some
chose to take a leap from the doomed buildings.
After
the Attack
When the two jumbo jets slammed into the towers, they structurally damaged
many of the support beams. A 2000 degree fire blazed through the building
fed by fuel from the full tanks in the jets. These fires severely weakened
steel beams. At that point, both towers were doomed. The South Tower stood
for little more than 50 minutes after it was hit. The North Tower stood
for more than 90 minutes before it too succumbed. Both collapsed almost
straight down, spewing thick ash and debris over much of lower Manhattan.
The scene is now called Ground Zero.
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