Brace yourself, because this isn’t going to be an easy topic!
On September 11th, 2024, we mark 23 years since the tragic 9/11 attacks. As many people acknowledge, the world has never been the same since that day. The attacks remain the deadliest terrorist act in history.
What is also profoundly shocking is that 9/11 is the deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement personnel in American history, with 343 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers losing their lives. Our heartfelt condolences go out to anyone who lost loved ones during that tragic day.
American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 took out from Boston early on September 11th, 2001, headed towards California when they were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center’s North and South buildings in New York City. While passengers tried to overtake United Airlines Flight 93 from hijackers before it slammed into a Pennsylvanian field, American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon.
We want to take a moment to honor the significance of this day and reflect on some of the harrowing experiences of that time. Among the stories are the final recordings and phone calls from those aboard the hijacked planes, which reveal the emotional farewells of people facing terrible circumstances. If you are sensitive to such topics, please proceed with caution, because it won’t be pleasant. Without further ado, here are some of the most tragic 9/11 facts:
1. Planes diverted in Canada
Canada took in no less than 255 diverted flights from America on 9/11. When these people stepped out of the planes, they were shocked by what happened, but relieved they were still alive.
2. Ben Sliney
Ben Sliney is a brave man who played a crucial role during the 9/11 attacks as the National Operations Manager for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). His quick actions were crucial in the immediate response to the attacks and helped prevent potential new victims. He’s considered a hero thanks to his decision to order a nationwide ground stop, which ensured no other planes could be hijacked and used as weapons.
On the morning of that terrible day, he ordered to ground all flights across the United States. This was a first, as there had never been a national ground stop before. Moreover, he also coordinated the responses between the FAA, military, and other important agencies. He was and is a hero!
3. Deaths
Almost 3,000 people were dead in the 9/11 terrorist attacks: 2,977 victims and 19 hijackers from the militant Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda. According to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, 184 people lost their lives at the Pentagon, 2753 died in New York, and 40 people perished when Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.
4. Victims
But the disaster didn’t end with those who lost their lives. Over 1,000 people who lived or worked near the World Trade Centers on that day were diagnosed with cancer due to exposure to toxins from the site.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) of New York City reports that approximately 40% of the victims are still unidentified; that equals 1,103 people. OCME used sophisticated DNA analysis to identify the 1,650th victim in January.
According to OCME, the World Trade Center victim identification project is the biggest and most complex forensic investigation in the history of our country.
Here is a recording of the last calls made from the airplane:
9/11 victims final voice recordings
byu/Youngstown_Mafia ininterestingasfuck
5. Cleaning
When the World Trade Center buildings collapsed, a huge mess covered up parts of NYC. According to sources, the towers left around 1.8 million tons of debris behind. It took approximately 3.1 million hours to clean everything up. As sources say, the project was finished on May 30th, 2002.
6. No evacuation
When people in Tower 2 noticed that Tower 1 was in flames and on the verge of collapsing, people started to run out the doors. Unfortunately, they were stopped by security, telling them the building was safe.
Even those who managed to almost exit the building were told by security to come back up. But a few minutes later, a second plane crashed into Tower 2, killing hundreds of people or making them commit suicide by jumping out the windows.
7. People jumping
A survivor told journalists that one of the hardest decisions they had to make on 9/11 was either to wait and see if they would be saved, wait and die due to burns and crashes, or jump to their deaths.
While waiting, he saw people on the stairs waving towels, asking for help as they got stuck. One of the things that still makes him shiver is noticing people holding hands and jumping together… to their deaths. He can’t forget those images, the smell, the panic, and the look on the victims’ faces.
8. Lost objects
Many things were lost or left behind after the 9/11 attacks. When workers were going through the debris, they found approximately 65,000 items, of which 144 were wedding rings and 437 watches.
If you’ve played the video above, you felt the panic and the love in the people’s voices. Even though we didn’t meet them, we are confident they will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with the families and friends who lost their loved ones on that tragic day. May they rest in peace!
If you want to read something else from Devastating Disasters, here’s another shocking post: 6 Countries That Would Nuke US Right Now if They Could
