Wednesday 11th September 2001
I remember the horror of that day. It was 1.45pm, I was sitting comfortably breastfeeding my daughter while watching neighbours on BBC1 on television. A news flash came on and interrupted the program I was watching. They said there had been a horrific accident and that an aeroplane had crashed into the World Trade Centre Tower. In that moment you think of the tragedy that this accident had caused and then when the second plane hit, you realise. You realise this was not an accident but a terror attack. It was a surreal feeling when the news was broadcasting. The moment this second plane hit the North Tower I remember my daughter stopped feeding. It must have been a shock to my body at what I was seeing and she felt it as I fed her. It was very strange. I was watching the broadcast and the feelings I felt was a mixture of relief that I didn’t know anyone from the USA and the horror of the terror attack. I watched as I saw people falling from the windows and felt panic for the victims. They jumped as they have decided that they would rather die than burn to death. I can’t imagine how those poor people felt the moment they climbed out of the windows to jump. Did they know they were not going to live? Were the victims trying to make a very last emotional phone call to loved ones to say goodbye? How did it feel for them when they knew they were not coming out of this alive.The people had a choice, wait to be saved even though they knew they would burn alive while waiting or jump. The people in the lower floors were they facing being crushed alive as they ran for their lives. Then the towers collapsed! Either way, those casualties knew they were going to die.
It was the most horrendous terror attack ever recorded and today I remember all the innocent lives taken on that day.
911 – Brief Timeline
In less than 2 hours, the twin towers fell claiming the lives of thousands of innocent people. The tragedy killed 2,996 people and injured more than 6,000 others
8.45am – People on the ground, heard a jet plane that was heading south in north bound airspace which was travelling too fast and far too low.
8.46am – A Boing 737 crashed into the South tower, killing all passengers on board and also many people working innocently on the several floors that the aeroplane hot and took out.
9.02am – The second plane hit the North Tower.
9.58am – South tower collapsed.It only took 10 seconds for the whole tower to collapse to the floor.
10.28am – North tower collapsed. Again 10 seconds for it to collapse.
These were the times I most remember from the day. The sheer terror those victims must have felt is indescribable. The pain of the survivors and families of the victims years after is still fresh.
I will always remember the fate of that day. Do you remember what you were doing when the planes hit?
Madison Ward 