15 years of terrifying memories of the 9/11 terrorist attack

"In the first days, we thought the rescue team would find people alive trapped in the rubble, but the miracle never came," said a reporter.

15 years have passed, but the world in general and Americans in particular still cannot forget the 102 terrifying minutes from the moment American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the first tower (North Tower) of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001.

19 hijackers hijacked four passenger planes and attacked important locations in the United States, killing about 3,000 people from more than 90 different countries.

The terrorist attack created a giant cloud of dust that rose thousands of meters into the sky over New York City. Photo: New York Times.

102 minutes that shook American history

The WTC Twin Towers are located in Manhattan, New York City, USA. In 1993, a bomb with the destructive power equivalent to 1.1 tons of TNT exploded here but the two towers still stood. However, 8 years later, the story is completely different.

At 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001, local time, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into floors 93 to 99 of the North Tower. Lucio Caputo, an employee working on the 78th floor of the North Tower, said he was in his office when the incident happened.

"The tower was shaking, sirens were going off and the lights were going off. I walked out of my office to see what was happening. There were screams and crying everywhere, but I couldn't see anything because of the thick dust," Caputo said. "After returning to my office, I grabbed some essentials like a flashlight, phone, towel and water bottle and ran towards the stairs."

The man said that while running, a friend called and told him that the plane had crashed into the tower where he worked. "When I ran down to the 50th floor, I saw many people coming from different floors. Those who came down from the floors above were seriously injured," Caputo shared.

About 200 people trapped in the building after the plane crashed into the WTC Twin Towers chose suicide to escape the discomfort caused by the smell of fuel, heat and smoke from the fire. Photo: AP.

Seventeen minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into floors 75 to 85 of the South Tower. The smell of jet fuel, heat, and smoke from the fire was so terrible that about 200 people chose to jump from the building to escape it. Jack Gentul said his late wife, Alayne Gentul, was very upset before she died.

"In her last moments, Alayne called me and said she was scared. Her heavy breathing scared me a lot. She was not a scared person, very practical and would do anything to survive," Jack said. Alayne's body was later found on the other side of the road.

"Everyone was screaming and crying"

"There was chaos everywhere," said firefighter Mike Smith. "From police to passersby, firefighters, everyone was screaming, crying and running around. It was like a fierce battle. Many people were injured."

New York is on alert. Officials have ordered the closure of all tunnels and bridges throughout the city. All flights into or through New York have been banned, canceled or rerouted.

For the first time in history, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the closure of all airports in the United States. All flights were canceled. Flights in progress had to make emergency landings. Security agencies organized evacuations in many important areas such as the White House, the Capitol, the United Nations Headquarters...

At 9:37 a.m. the same day, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, killing 125 people. A witness said he was shocked to see the plane crash into the US Department of Defense Headquarters.

"At that time, I was listening to the news about what happened in New York. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a plane approaching. I looked out the window and saw a plane flying very low and crashing straight into the Pentagon," the witness said.

The scene of American Airlines Flight 77 crashing into the Pentagon during the September 11 attacks. Photo: Wikipedia.

9:59 am, the South Tower of the WTC collapsed.

At 10:07 a.m., United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all passengers and crew (including the hijackers). Black box recordings show that the passengers on board tried to regain control from the hijackers.

At 10:28, the north tower of the WTC collapsed. Columns of black smoke billowed into the sky. People around were scrambling to find shelter. In some places, the ash was up to 20 cm thick.

Wounds that never heal

Former US President George W. Bush said that except for his daughter's wedding, the September 11 terrorist attacks were the most profound event in his life. At the time, Mr. Bush was attending an educational event in Florida.

After hearing about the incident at the North Tower of the WTC, he thought it was just an accident, but after Andy Card, then the White House Chief of Staff, announced that the second plane had crashed into the South Tower of the WTC, the former president knew America was under attack.

Andy Card announced the news that "America was attacked" to former President Bush on September 11, 2001. Photo: Reuters.

Nearly 13 years have passed since "America's darkest day", hundreds of victims' bodies have still not been identified. Many say 9/11 was the day America lost its "innocence".

"At that time, I was really shocked and angry. But as the head of a country, I had to appear calm," Bush said.

The 43rd President of the United States said that after leaving the class, he wanted to return to Washington DC but was prevented by security advisors for safety reasons. He shared his frustration at having to fly around the United States for hours while the country was immersed in disaster.

"I felt helpless as I watched on the screen people jumping from the Twin Towers and I, the leader of the United States, could do nothing to help them," Bush said.

The miracle never comes

Cindy Rodriguez, a journalist, said she will never forget the sight of hundreds of New York City residents walking aimlessly, carrying pictures of missing loved ones.

"The image of a woman with streaks of mascara on her face is imprinted in my mind. She said her fiancé would be found. In the first days, we thought the rescue team would find people alive trapped in the rubble."

"Crowds of reporters from all over the world stood outside the hospital, waiting for the miracle stories we so desperately wanted to hear. Everyone waited in vain. The miracles never came," Rodriguez shared.

Blood-stained piece of paper from a victim who died in the WTC Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. Photo: New York Daily News

"84th floor, west wing, 12 trapped," was scribbled on a piece of paper on September 11, 2001. The blood-stained paper flew down to the street from the 84th floor of the WTC twin towers. Forensic tests showed that the blood on it belonged to Randy Scott.

"I spent years hoping that Randy wasn't trapped in the building," Scott's wife, Denise Scott, said in tears. "But the moment I saw the piece of paper, I knew it was his handwriting. All hope was lost."

Chronic diseases

The dust from the 9/11 WTC Twin Towers site contained toxic chemicals such as asbestos, lead, dioxin, PVC, mercury, etc., along with the emissions of hundreds of thousands of liters of burned diesel fuel. It is estimated that about 90,000 people were exposed to this toxic dust. More than 60,000 people are still participating in the health monitoring program.

Glenn Garamella was one of the 9/11 rescuers. The 61-year-old had asthma, sleep apnea and was undergoing cancer treatment. "The cough got worse. Eventually, they found out I had throat cancer," Garamella said.

"People who were exposed to the toxic dust that day are at risk for cancer," said Dr. Michael Crane, who runs the WTC Health Program at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Health officials said that about 2,000 cancer diagnoses were related to the 9/11 event. This group of people are mainly those who worked directly at the scene and for a long time such as medical staff, rescue workers, volunteers... The problems they encountered were mainly respiratory diseases.

The terrifying minutes of America on September 11, 2001:Americans will never forget the 102 minutes that forever changed their lives, their country.

According to Zing