
On 11 September 2001, terrorists hijacked four passenger planes, two of which they rammed into the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan in New York City, whilst the third struck the Pentagon. The fourth jet crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after its passengers and the crew fought back.
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2,974 people died because of these attacks; 24 went missing. Most of the dead were civilians; amongst them were 246 passengers and crewmembers of the hijacked planes, 2,606 people in and around the collapsed Twin Towers, and 125 people in the Pentagon building. The victims were not only Americans; they came from as many as 91 countries around the world, including 96 people born in the USSR.
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Death also claimed first responders, including 341 fire fighters and two medics from the New York City Fire Department, 60 police officers, and eight ambulance paramedics.
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Authorities blamed the 9/11 disaster on the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation and its leader Osama bin Laden, who was eliminated on 2 May 2011, although they’ve been largely criticised by both media and scientists, leaving the question open for discussion.
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The collapse of the Twin Towers left behind thousands of tons of toxic waste. Hazardous substances from the burning fires mixed with the air, poisoning the atmosphere and people who were helping the survivors and clearing the debris. Local residents, students, and office workers in Lower Manhattan and adjacent Chinatown complained of health problems.
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A memorial for the victims of the 9/11 attack opened in New York in 2011.
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In 2002, 11 September was officially designating as Patriot Day. In 2009, it was renamed National Day of Service and Remembrance.
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11 September 2012
Voice of Russia World Service
http://english.ruvr.ru/photoalbum/87895131/87895134/
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