Warning: This article contains graphic images and video that some readers may find distressing.
Following the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, new chilling footage has surfaced that shows the exact moment the United Airlines plane hit the first tower of the World Trade Centre.
On September 11, 2001, the world mourned together as 19 terrorists from al-Qaeda commandeered four planes, causing widespread destruction across the United States. Two planes struck the World Trade Centre in New York City, one crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and the fourth ended up in a Pennsylvania field, with its intended target speculated to have been the Capitol building.
A total of 2,977 innocent lives were lost that day.
At 8:46am Eastern Time, the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center, and this exact moment was recorded by a resident of New York.
The video shows a firefighter assessing a situation when a loud screech from a plane is heard.
Moments later, the plane crashes into one of the Twin Towers, erupting in flames as someone yells “holy s**t” in the background.
Vast plumes of smoke emerged from the 110-story building as a fireball shot into the sky, creating a gaping hole between the 93rd and 99th floors.
Below is the footage, but please be warned: it contains distressing scenes:
No one trapped above those floors survived, and many were killed instantly upon impact.
Evacuation efforts began, and TV crews broadcasted the unfolding events, which initially seemed like a tragic accident. However, it soon became clear that this was a deliberate act.
Seventeen minutes later, a second plane, also hijacked by terrorists under Osama Bin Laden’s leadership, crashed into the South Tower between the 77th and 85th floors, confirming that the US was under attack.
Tragically, the twin tower attacks resulted in the deaths of 2,606 people, including two-year-old Christine Lee Hanson, the youngest victim who was on the second plane.
The third hijacked plane struck the Pentagon at 9:37am.
The fourth plane, believed to be heading for the Capitol Building, crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back against the hijackers.
New York was still undergoing evacuation efforts when both towers collapsed less than two hours later.
A decade later, al-Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden, who had gone into hiding, was located and killed by US military forces in Pakistan.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Racial Equity Support Line at 503-575-3764, available weekdays from 10am to 7pm PT. Alternatively, you can reach out to the Lines for Life Equity Team at [email protected].