Casualties of the September 11 attacks
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US.
Twenty-five years on, the toll keeps rising as responders die of related illnesses.
Background
On September 11, 2001, hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, killing nearly 3,000 people in the deadliest attack on US soil. Most victims (2,606) died at the Twin Towers site, 125 at the Pentagon, and 246 were crew and passengers aboard the four aircraft. The toll did not stop there: rescue workers, nearby residents and others exposed to toxins in the air later developed 9/11-related health conditions, and many have since died. The 25th anniversary in 2026 has renewed attention on these ongoing losses.
How it unfolded
- Sep 11, 2001Hijacked planes hit the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field, killing nearly 3,000 people. Most victims (2,606) were ground casualties at the Twin Towers site; 125 died at the Pentagon and 246 aboard the four aircraft.
- 2011The CDC's World Trade Center Health Program began providing medical monitoring and treatment to 9/11 responders and survivors.
- 2021Two victims were identified through DNA testing, one of them Dorothy Morgan of Hempstead, New York; the other was not publicly named at his family's request.
- 2023Another two victims' remains were identified, but their families asked that the names not be released.
- 2026Twenty-six firefighters died this year alone of 9/11-related illnesses, and more than 600 additional firefighters have died of such illnesses since the attacks.
- Sep 11, 2026Twenty-five years after the attacks, Americans paused to commemorate the nearly 3,000 people killed.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- The official death toll is 2,977 people, not including the 19 hijackers, according to BBC Science Focus Magazine.
- Analysts
- The Council on Foreign Relations notes nearly 3,000 died and as many as 25,000 were injured.
- Caution
- BBC Science Focus reports that around 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants, injury risk and high stress, and that over 136,000 are enrolled in the WTC Health Program, about 90,000 with a diagnosed 9/11-related condition.
Still unverified
Danny Lewin, aboard American Airlines Flight 11, is widely believed to be the first person killed during the attacks; it is believed that because of his skill set he knew what was about to happen and took action. This is not officially confirmed.