World's worst terror attack; Terrorist attack.
THOUSANDS of people were feared dead this afternoon after two hijacked airliners were flown into the twintowered World Trade Centre in New York.Many more were believed to have died in a second attack when a plane was flown into the Pentagon US military base at the Pentagon in Washington.
The first plane, a hijacked United Airlines 767 plunged into the side of the 110-storey World Trade Centre at 9am New York time.
Eighteen minutes later a second United Airlines plane, believed to be a 737, ploughed into the second tower.
More than 50,000 people work in the two buildings - one of which collapsed within an hour of the attack.
Twenty minutes later the second tower collapsed.
Early reports suggested a Palestinian terror group had claimed reponsibility for the attack, although this was later denied.
The first plane had been hijacked at Boston, and the second from New Jersey.
Witnesses watched in horror and disbelief as the first plane flew towards the tower and deliberately crashed into it - 20 floors from the top.
In identical fashion, the second plane flew into the tower next door.
Wthin minutes the double inferno was spreading upwards and downwards in both buildings.
Witnesses reported seeing people falling from the windows to their deaths rather than be burned alive.
In the wake of the carnage all flights to the US were being diverted to Canada.
Within an hour of the New York attack a third plane was flown into the Pentagon. Details of casualties were not known.
Soon after the attack President George Bush went on national television to say the atrocity was a clear terrorist attack and vowed to hunt down those responsible.
It was the biggest ever terror attack in peacetime.
There were also reports of a third explosion at the Pentagon, the American military centre in Washington and a third hijacking. The White House was also evacuated.
Britain was also put on security alert, amid fears that the terrorists were planning further attacks.
The grounding of all flights was being considered.
Later this afternoon the Canary Wharf tower in London's docklands was evacuated.
The first explosion happned at 9am New York time when the first plane, believed to be a Boeing 767 was flown into the World Trade Centre building 20 floors from the top.
Soon afterwards a 737 plunged into the building immediately next door at 300mph.
One witness, Jeanne Yurman, told CNN television she was watching TV when she heard what she thought was a sonic boom. "I thought it was Concorde, " she said.
Smoke was pouring out of two sides of the top floors of the building.
Large holes were visible in sides of the 110storey buildings, landmark twin towers.
The tops of the twin towers were obscured by the smoke.
Thousands of pieces of what appeared to be office paper came drifting over Brooklyn, about three miles from the tower, one witness said.
The double attack happened when the towers were packed with staff who had just arrived for work.
Within minutes smoke was billowing from both buildings as the inferno spread both upwards and downwards.
At one point the press agency Associated Press telephoned the trade centre to be told:
"Help us we are dying."
As emergency services tried deperately to reach survivors the FBI confirmed they were treating the attack as "foul play".
Workers from surrounding buildings were evacuated moments before the towers collapsed.
US President George Bush went on national television soon afterwards saying: "In an apparent terrorist act on our country two planes have crashed into the World Trade Centre.
I have spoken to the Vice President and the director of the FBI and have ordered the full resources of the Federal government to go towards helping the victims and their families.
"A full scale investigation has been ordered into finding those who committed this act.
"Terrorism against our nation we will not stand."
In February 1993, terrorist bombers attacked the World Trade Centre, killing six people.
CAPTION(S):
Plane two seconds before impact
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| Publication: | Liverpool Echo (Liverpool, England) |
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| Date: | Sep 11, 2001 |
| Words: | 671 |
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