Looking back at history, a painful chapter for the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) deepens on this day. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost when 19 al-Qaida hijackers took control of four jetliners, crashing two into New York’s World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the fourth into a field in western Pennsylvania. It remains the deadliest terror attack in history.
More firefighters have now died from World Trade Center-related illnesses than the 343 who perished on September 11, 2001.
Since the Twin Towers collapsed, 360 FDNY members have fallen victim to diseases caused by their exposure during the rescue and recovery efforts. The toll continues to rise, with 28 deaths recorded this past year alone, according to the FDNY Uniformed Firefighters Association.
“Those insurmountable losses did not end at the World Trade Center site,” noted Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker. “Instead, we have seen our members become sick because of time they spent working in the rescue and recovery.”
Of the 2,753 people who died in the attacks, the remains of 1,103 victims—about 40%—remain unidentified, adding another layer of grief for families. The last identification of remains occurred in January.
Marking the 23rd anniversary of the attack, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum honored the fallen with a commemoration ceremony at 8:30 a.m. ET. The occasion serves as a solemn reminder of those lost on that day and the ongoing sacrifices of the first responders who stood on the front lines.
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