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.