Of course people and concrete near the explosions were pulverized just in the same way. The Huge explosions were witnessed by many many people which had to be far away enough or protected by the screening effect of several upper floors as certainly was the survivors of stairwell B who reported noise (which does not mean absence of explosion) and wind.
Again and looking at the photo posted by Sam.I.Am the question is : where are the 90 floors that should have pancaked and accumulated over and around these core columns near stairwell B ? This is just crazy!
Let me add that thermobarics for instance have a much lower pressure peak than conventionnal high energy explosives and yet are more destructive, because longer, especially in confined areas.