Fireproofing blamed for collapse of Twin Towers

US GOVERNMENT investigators said the World Trade Center buildings would probably not have collapsed in the September 11, 2001, terror attacks if fireproofing had stuck firmly to the columns and floors.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology also concluded that the average survivor took more than double the estimated time to descend emergency stairwells, and that better communication between emergency services could have saved more lives.

NIST, which issued three reports on the attacks, did not blame designers or builders for the New York buildings’ collapse.