On 11th September 2001, the United States experienced one of the
largest terrorist attacks on its soil, which killed at least 3,000
people and injured more than 6,000. It also caused damage worth at least
USD 10 billion, including property, building, and other constructions.
According to news reports, the Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda planned
this attack that took place in three different locations: World Trade
Center in New York City; Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia; and in
Washington D.C.
Nineteen terrorists hijacked four passenger
airplanes for the attacks, and according to media sources, the whole
plan was masterminded by the group's leader Osama bin Laden. Two planes,
United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into
the World Trade Center Towers. American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into
the western side of the Pentagon, which is the Headquarters of the
Department of Defense. The fourth flight, United Airlines Flight 93, was
initially directed towards Washington D.C., but went down in a meadow
at Shanksville in Pennsylvania.
Timeline of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
On
September 11, 2001, at around 8 in the morning, American Airlines
Flight 11 lifts off from Boston's Logan International Airport. Its
destination is supposed to be LAX, LA, California. Five hijackers take
control of the plane when it is in midair, and alter the route to New
York City.
Around 8.15, United Airlines Flight 175 also takes off
from the Logan International Airport, heading for the same destination,
i.e., LAX. Five hijackers are on board and before take off, they
contact the others on Flight 11.
At 8.20 am, American Airlines
Flight 77 lifts off from the Washington Dulles International Airport―its
destination also being LAX―and is boarded by five hijackers. By this
time, the transponder of Flight 11 has been turned off, and American
Airlines is alerted by a flight attendant that the plane is being
hijacked.
Few radio transmissions are intercepted by flight
controllers at Boston around 8.30 am, wherein a terrorist tells all the
passengers to be quiet and not make any move. The hijacking of Flight 11
is confirmed, and the plane is on route to New York City.
At
8.36 am, Flight 175 gets a view of Flight 11, which is a few miles in
the southern direction, and notifies this to air traffic controllers.
Flight 175 is hijacked at 8.40 am. At the same time, United Airlines
Flight 93 takes off from Newark International Airport, and is initially
bound for San Francisco International Airport.
At 8.46 am, Flight
11 crashes into North WTC Tower, at a speed off more than 450 mph. The
plane's fuel ignites and a huge cloud of smoke billows out from the
upper floors where it has crashed. From the lower floors, people begin
to get out, but the ones on top are still trapped. Several people on the
outside start filming the entire scenario.
The news travels fast
and extensive media coverage begins at the same time. At 8.50 am, two
calls are made from Flight 175, one from a man to his father, and the
second from a flight attendant to United Airlines. Both calls are made
to inform that the plane has been hijacked.
Around the same time,
hijackers take control of Flight 77 and change its original course, now
heading towards Ohio. The then U.S. President George W. Bush hears the
news about the WTC crash while he is in Florida. At 8.55 am, the
transponder of Flight 77 is switched off, and the plane is moving
towards Washington D.C.
At 9.03 am, Flight 175 crashes into the
South WTC Tower at a speed of almost 600 mph. By this time, many media
and broadcasting organizations are already near the towers, giving out
live news. The second crash is filmed and shown live on news channels.
Decisions
are taken to shut off all airports in the nearby regions around 9.15
am. At 9.23 am, Flight 77 is informed of the double crashes, and to be
aware of suspicious people on the plane. Minutes after this message,
terrorists enter the cockpit and take control of Flight 93. NORAD is
informed about the possible hijacking of both airplanes.
At 9.37
am, Flight 77 crashes into the western part of the Pentagon, leading to a
big fire. All the passengers are instantly dead, and the death toll of
Pentagon personnel is above 100. The White House, The Capitol, and other
important buildings are evacuated at 9.40 am.
Around
10 am, President Bush hears the news about the Pentagon crash. The WTC
South Tower collapses completely. On Flight 93, the passengers start
planning to subdue the terrorists, as the plane is on course to
Washington D.C.
At
10.03 am, Flight 93 crashes into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania,
after resistance is shown by the passengers. According to reports, the
initial target of the hijackers probably was the White House or the
Capitol Building in Washington D.C. At 10.30 am, the North WTC Tower
collapses.
Effects and Aftermath of 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on The World
Subsequent
to these destructive incidences, media coverage and rescue operations
increased further. Commercial flights from the US to Canada and
vice-versa were also canceled. The WTC crashes had a damaging effect on
the surrounding buildings, like the Marriott Hotel, 4 WTC, 6 WTC, 5 WTC
(in all, seven surrounding buildings were affected). Rescue and relief
given was fast enough, and on the same day following the crashes, orders
were given to shoot down any plane that behaved suspiciously. Monetary
relief and donations from charity organizations and otherwise were also
received for the aid of the victims.
The terrorist attacks were
condemned by the nation shortly after they took place, along with other
countries showing their support. Many middle-eastern countries too
denounced the act, including Afghanistan. Hate crimes against
Middle-Eastern origin and Asian-origin people began to rise a lot, like
murders, thievery, arson, etc., after September 11. Several bank
accounts thought to belong to terrorists were closed down.
On the
International front, USA strengthened its stand against terrorism, and
continued deploying troops in Afghanistan to combat the terrorists. This
can be said to be one of the direct effects of the September 11
attacks, as the British also joined forces with the US army in the War
of Afghanistan. The war that was waged against Iraq can also be
considered to be one of the effects of these attacks.
Regarding
health effects, the toxins that arose because of the crashes were
responsible for many deaths due to asphyxiation, and air quality in the
immediate surroundings worsened a lot. Many pregnant woman gave birth to
premature babies, and some were even stillborn. On an average, more
than 15,000 individuals are known to have developed a variety of
illnesses due to these attacks.
In case of effects on the
economy, the stock markets were closed till 17th September, and the
losses were pegged at more than USD 1 trillion. More than 4,00,000 jobs
were lost, and New York City's GDP decreased considerably. The entire
American airspace was closed for many days, and after it started, the
traffic situation worsened drastically.
September 11 Attacks: A Tribute to All Who Died
Following
the attacks, several memorials were built in the honor of all the
people who lost their lives. The Tribute in Light (also called the
annual tribute) was set up at Ground Zero (which is the basal section of
the area where the twin towers were present). Another memorial called
the New York Memorial was built following the attacks.
The
Pentagon Memorial was unveiled to the public in 2008, and is
constructed exactly where Flight 77 crashed into the wall. The Flight 93
National Memorial honors all those who lost their lives in the
Pennsylvania crash.
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