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WTC towers succumbed to fire: Report

Dharam Shourie in New York

The twin towers of the World Trade Centre withstood the impact of plane attacks, but succumbed to the fire that followed, a study says.

Federal investigators say that the fire generated heat equivalent to the energy output of a nuclear power plant.

According to the New York Times, the study, which is yet to be released, says that the sprinkler systems and water supply for hoses were all disabled and the fire, combined with these failures, brought down the towers even after they showed surprising resilience to the massive structural damage caused by impact of the planes.

The report's findings detail for the first time the horrific series of events that led to the collapse of two of the world's tallest buildings. They are contained in a draft of a report commissioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

"The ability of the two towers to withstand aircraft impact without immediate collapse was a direct function of their design and construction characteristics, as was the vulnerability of the two towers to collapse as a result of the combined effects of the impacts and ensuing fires," the report says.

PTI

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