A day to remember
This past Friday, 25 years ago, the U.S. experienced a devastating terrorist attack. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, four airplanes were hijacked by a group of al-Qaeda terrorists.
At 8:46 a.m., the first plane, Flight 11, was flown into the World Trade Center’s north tower. 17 minutes later, Flight 175 crashed into the south tower. No passengers survived the impact. Many inside the towers were killed instantly and many others were injured.
With no time to waste, first responders rushed in to evacuate and offer aid to those inside. At 9:59 a.m., the south tower collapsed. At 10:28 a.m., the north tower followed, crushing everyone inside and harming many in the surrounding area.
At 9:37 a.m., the Pentagon was hit by Flight 77.
Presumably on its way to Washington D.C., Flight 93 crashed into a field in Shanksville, PA, after passengers on board rushed the cabin to bring an end to the attack.
Approximately 3,000 people died:
- 265 flight passengers
- 2,606 civilians inside and around the World Trade Center
- 125 people inside the Pentagon
- 343 firefighters
- 71 law enforcement officers
- 55 military personnel
Thousands more were injured. Even 25 years later, Sept. 11 stands as a day to commemorate those who have fallen and remember those who bravely raced to offer aid.