On September 11, 2001, 19 men hijacked four American commercial airliners loaded with fuel and bound for various destinations on the West Coast. In total, 2,977 people were killed in the terrorist attacks on New York City, Washington, D.C., and the area around Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The attack was orchestrated by Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
The victims of 9/11
At the World Trade Center (WTC) in lower Manhattan, 2,753 people died when hijacked flights, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were intentionally crashed into the North and South Towers, or died as a result of the bombings.
Of those who died during the initial attacks and subsequent tower collapses, 343 were New York City firefighters, 23 were city police officers, and 37 were Port Authority officers.
The victims ranged in age from two to 85. Approximately 75-80% of the dead were men.
At the Pentagon in Washington, 184 people died when hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building.
Near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, 40 passengers and crew on United Airlines Flight 93 died when the plane crashed into a field. The hijackers are believed to have crashed the plane there, rather than at its unknown target, after passengers and crew tried to regain control of the cockpit.
As of July 2019, 1,644 (60%) of the 2,753 remains of World Trade Center victims have been identified, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Chronology of events
- September 11, 2001 (Eastern Time)
8:46 a.m. – American Airlines Flight 11 (traveling from Boston to Los Angeles) hits the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
9:03 a.m. – United Airlines Flight 175 (traveling from Boston to Los Angeles) hits the south tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
9:37 a.m. – American Airlines Flight 77 (traveling from Dulles, Virginia, to Los Angeles) hits the Pentagon building in Washington.
9:59 am – The WTC south tower collapses in approximately 10 seconds.
10:03 a.m. – United Airlines Flight 93 (traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco) crashes into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
10:28 am – The North Tower of the WTC collapses. The time between the first attack and the collapse of both World Trade Center towers is 102 minutes.
- December 13, 2001
The United States government releases a video in which Osama bin Laden claims responsibility for the attacks.
- December 18, 2001
Congress passes a measure allowing the president to designate September 11 as “Patriot Day” on each anniversary of the attacks.
- December 2001 to June 15, 2004
The original Victims Compensation Fund processes death and injury claims for families of 9/11 victims. Families of the deceased had until December 22, 2003, to file claims. The fund reopened in 2011.
- May 24, 2007
New York City’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Charles S. Hirsch, rules that Felicia Dunn-Jones’ 2002 death from dust exposure is directly related to the September 11 attacks and is therefore a homicide.
- July 19, 2007
The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office announces that the remains of three more people have been identified. 1,133 victims, 41 percent of the total, remain unidentified.
- January 2009
The coroner’s office rules that Leon Heyward, who died the previous year of lymphoma and lung disease, is a homicide victim because he was trapped in the toxic dust cloud shortly after the towers collapsed.
- January 2, 2011
President Barack Obama signs the James Zadroga September 11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, reopening and expanding the scope of the Victims Compensation Fund.
- June 17, 2011
The New York City medical examiner rules that Jerry Borg’s death on December 15, 2010, was the result of inhaling toxic substances from the dust cloud generated by the collapse of the Twin Towers.
- May 10, 2014
The unidentified remains of those killed in the attacks are returned to the World Trade Center site, where they will be held in a warehouse under the jurisdiction of the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
- August 7, 2017
The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office announces that the remains of a man killed at the World Trade Center have been identified due to the availability of more sophisticated DNA testing.
- 2019
The New York City medical examiner’s office identifies the remains of three victims through DNA testing.
September 11th Victims Compensation Fund
The original fund operated from December 2001 to June 2004.
The initial Victims Compensation Fund received 7,408 claims for death and personal injury compensation. It awarded compensation in 5,560 of those cases.
The reopened and expanded fund has been in operation since January 2, 2011. Families who have received claims from the federal fund have agreed not to sue the airlines.
Economic impact
US$ 500,000 – This is the estimated amount believed to have cost to plan and execute the September 11 attacks.
123 billion dollars — This is the estimated economic loss during the first 2 to 4 weeks after the collapse of the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City, as well as the decline in air travel in the coming years.
60 billion dollars — The estimated cost of damage to the WTC site, including damage to surrounding buildings, infrastructure and subway facilities.
US$ 40 billion — This is the amount of the emergency anti-terrorism package approved by the United States Congress on September 14, 2001.
US$ 15 billion — It was the economic aid package approved by Congress to rescue airlines.
US$ 9.3 billion — The value of insurance claims arising from the September 11 attacks.
Cleaning at Ground Zero
May 30, 2002 – The cleanup of Ground Zero officially ends.
It took 3.1 million hours of work to clear 1.8 million tons of rubble.
The total cost of the cleanup was $750 million.
National security
The Department of Homeland Security was created in response to 9/11.
It merged 22 government agencies into one, including Customs Enforcement, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Through the Container Security Initiative, more than 80% of imported ocean container cargo is pre-screened before entering the United States.
March 12, 2002 — The National Security Advisory System is introduced.
April 26, 2011 – The National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) replaces the color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS).
This content was originally published in September 11 attacks complete 23 years: Check out the main facts about the attack on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
