Twin Towers collapse
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and both towers collapsed.
Twenty-five years on, the collapse's toxic dust still claims more lives than the attacks.
Background
On Sept. 11, 2001, two hijacked airliners crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan; both towers collapsed, and the attacks killed some 2,800 people. The material ties the hijackers to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Government investigators concluded that the impact of the commercial jets could and did cause both towers to collapse. The topic is resurfacing around the 25th anniversary, with newly released city air-quality documents and anniversary coverage.
How it unfolded
- Sep 11, 2001Hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m.; both towers later collapse.
- Sep 11, 2001Smoke and ash cover lower Manhattan; first responders are seen amid the rubble after the collapse.
- 2026New York City releases pages of air-quality reports and other documents through an online portal, timed with the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- NIST reports conclude that the impact of commercial jet planes could and did cause both towers to collapse.
- Critics
- Conspiracy theories alleging the towers were brought down by a controlled demolition using explosives persist, and debunking resources address them.
- Advocates
- Mamdani said at a news conference with survivors that people got sick because leaders they trusted lied and told them the air was safe to breathe.
Still unverified
The claim that the towers were brought down by a controlled demolition using explosives is disputed and rejected by the NIST investigation cited in the material.