Sky divers make record leap

Sky divers make record leap

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Fifteen of the world's top sky divers
jumped from the Petronas Twin Towers, the world's tallest
building, as Malaysians ushered in the new millennium with music
and dance.

Ten seconds before the stroke of midnight on Sunday, the last
day of the year 2000, they jumped from the 88th floor as well as
the 60th and 73rd floors of the majestic 451.9-meter, 88-floor
twin towers.

The daredevils landed a minute later, in the year 2001, at two
designated landing zones. Thousands of Malaysians, including
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, witnessed the spectacular event.
The parachutists were from the United States, Saudi Arabia,
Germany, Sweden and Malaysia.

Malaysia Skyventure, the organizer of the event, said in a
statement the sky divers set three world records -- the largest
mass jump from a building (the previous record was five people)
and from the world's tallest building, and jumping from one
millennium to another.

As the last sky diver touched down, the sky around the Twin
Towers was set aglow with a dazzling fireworks display.