New York falls silent to honour 9/11 victims as memorial events take place in US and UK 25 years on
New York fell silent today as the victims of 9/11 were honoured 25 years on from the world's worst terrorist attack.
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At 8.46am on 11 September 2001, 2,977 people were killed when hijackers crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Virginia.
A fourth hijacked plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers fought back.
The World Trade Center was hit by the first hijacked plane at precisely 8.46am. Flight 11 crashed into the north side of the North Tower, causing devastation, killing many instantly and trapping others on the floors above the impact.
At a memorial ceremony in New York City, the first of six moments of silence was held this morning.
Seven bells rang out across the city honouring the first plane that hit the North Tower.
A large crowd gathered solemnly just outside barricades surrounding the 9/11 Memorial, and in a nearby park where hundreds stood in silence, apart from the occasional chatter of police radio.
Barack and Michelle Obama have spoken about the tragic events 25 years ago.
They said: "The shock of that beautiful, cloudless morning. The heartbreak of the families whose loved ones were taken with such swiftness and cruelty. The realisation that the forces of malevolence and violence were closer, and the future less certain, than we knew."
A flag was raised over the Pentagon early on Friday morning, marking the first in a string of events to commemorate those who died in the attacks.
In London, an event to honour the victims took place at 11am. Memorial services are also taking place at crash sites in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
The US ambassador to the UK paid tribute to the 67 British people who were killed in the 9/11 attacks 25 years ago as he reflected on the friendship Britons showed with “an outpouring of letters and flowers” in the wake of the atrocity.
Warren Stephens laid a white floral wreath at the September 11th Memorial Garden in Grosvenor Square in central London alongside his wife Harriet to pay respects to those killed in the terror attacks.
“Harriet and I want to pay our respects to the 67 UK citizens who were killed on 9/11 25 years ago,” he said.
“It’s hard to believe, it’s 25 years ago for me, for us. Talking about it as we walked in and it’s still hard to believe what happened.
“And it’s a tragedy none of us will ever forget.
“But we’ll also never forget the friendship the British people showed us with an outpouring of letters and flowers from all over the country.”
As ceremonies are being held on either side of the Atlantic on Friday to mark the sombre milestone, Andy Burnham warned that terror “still knocks at the door of democracy” and expressed the nation’s unity with the US.
The Prime Minister said the UK and US “stand together in memory of those we lost, and in defence of the values we cherish”.
He recalled how in the wake of terrorist outrages in Manchester during his time as mayor of the city region, messages of support had been received from across the US, including the children of those killed on September 11, 2001.
In a note on a wreath at the memorial, Mr Burnham wrote: “In memory of those we lost and in defence of the values we share.
“Whilst we stand together for freedom and democracy, terror will never define us.”
Meanwhile, Sir Tony Blair, who was prime minister at the time of the murderous atrocity and had to deal with its aftermath, said the anniversary was also a time to “commemorate the unshakeable and essential bond” between the two countries.
Later on Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will take the Royal Salute on the Buckingham Palace forecourt, accompanied by Mr Stephens.
It was on a bright, cloudless day 25 years ago that 2,977 people were killed when passenger jets hijacked by al Qaida terrorists struck the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, causing both to collapse, and the Pentagon outside Washington, DC.
A fourth plane seized by extremists – United Airlines Flight 93 – crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania after the crew and passengers fought back and so prevented it from hitting another target, thought to be the congressional building, which houses the US legislature.
It remains the worst terrorist outrage of all time, claiming the lives of victims from more than 90 nations.
In response, the US became the first and only ever country to invoke Nato’s “all for one, and one for all” collective security clause, where members rally to the defence of an ally under attack – a commitment now called into doubt by the current president.
It led to the large-scale deployment of UK forces to conflicts in both Afghanistan and Iraq, which left hundreds of British troops dead, thousands more injured and continues to have global repercussions.
One survivor Bill McMahon who worked at the World Trade Centre for Morgan Stanley - told LBC: "It started out like any other day.
"I remember looking out over the statue of liberty. What I saw floating by me were 'things that were on fire' going by my window.
"That's when the first moment hit us that something bad was going on.
"The mantra was 'you have to save yourself.'
Bill was on the 69th floor. He said "After the plane hit we couldn't really see what was going on.
"We walked over to the stairwell and worked our way down to the 44th floor.
"That's where the port authority came out and told everybody to stay in the building. At about that time the plane hit our building. It blew out the elevator doors and knocked us all down.
"After the plane hit us... there was no yelling and screaming and crying. Everyone just looked at each other like what in the hell is going on.
"We moved towards the stairwell and starting working our way down.
"It was just this silence. You had to stand in line and wait your turn to go down the stairwell.
"We were probably about four blocks away when the building collapsed.
"I'm willing to say 25-30minutes going down in the stairwell. You have no idea what's going on."
Eric Ronningen is described as the 'last man out' of the south tower.
He evacuated the north tower and after the first plane hit he turned round and went into the south tower.
He told LBC: "I was on the 71st floor of the north tower, the first to be hit.
"My first thought was that an airliner had somehow, inexplicably driven into the top of that tower.
"I'm one of those people that knows that no-one dies before their set time.
He said that surviving the attack taught him that in life people should "take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way.
"We miss opportunities to be friends with our family, our colleagues. We need to stop and smell the roses.
"Our lives can changed in the time it takes for the second hand of our watch to tick from one second to the next."
Sir Tony Blair, who was prime minister at the time of the murderous atrocity and had to deal with its aftermath, said the anniversary was also a time to “commemorate the unshakeable and essential bond” between the two countries.
US ambassador to the UK Warren Stephens said Britain had rallied in support “in one of America’s darkest hours” and that “despite our disagreements and debates”, the transatlantic relationship “has kept us safe for centuries”.
His comments follow strained relations with President Donald Trump’s White House, most notably over the Iran war, which have tested long-standing ties with traditional allies.
It was on a bright, cloudless day 25 years ago that 2,977 people – 67 of them British – were killed when passenger jets hijacked by al Qaida terrorists struck the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, causing both to collapse, and the Pentagon outside Washington DC.
A fourth plane seized by extremists – United Airlines Flight 93 – crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania after the crew and passengers fought back with the famous line “let’s roll”, and so prevented it from hitting another target, thought to be the congressional building, which houses the US legislature.
It remains the worst terrorist outrage of all time, claiming the lives of victims from more than 90 nations.
In response, the US became the first and only ever country to invoke Nato’s “all for one, and one for all” collective security clause, where members rally to the defence of an ally under attack – a commitment now called into doubt by the current president.
It led to the large-scale deployment of UK forces to conflicts in both Afghanistan and Iraq, which left hundreds of British troops dead, thousands more injured and continue to have global repercussions.
Reflecting on the anniversary, Sir Tony said: “I will forever remember 11th of September 2001, as a leader but also as a citizen.
“9/11 was the worst terrorist attack ever perpetrated, the greatest loss of life through an attack on American soil in the history of America and the largest death toll of any act of terrorism in respect of the British people.
“That day changed the world and 25 years on, changes the world even now.”
He added: “We remember those who lost their lives, 3,000 of them on that day. We remember their families. We recall the courage of the responders, many of whom also sacrificed themselves in that moment.
“And we remember the incredible fortitude of the people of New York and the other cities affected. And we recognise that, though thankfully such an attack has never been repeated in America, the struggle against terrorism in all its forms continues.
“We should all recommit ourselves to confront and defeat those who engage in such terrorism, and to pursue the cause of peaceful co-existence between people of all faiths, cultures and nations.
“Here in Britain, as we remember this day, we also commemorate the unshakeable and essential bond between our country and the United States of America.”
Speaking at a ceremony at the American embassy in London to dedicate a memorial stone to the victims of 9/11, the US ambassador said following the 2001 attack “a new chapter was added to the world’s most historic partnership”.
Mr Stephens recalled: “As America grieved, the people of the UK rallied to stand beside us in sympathy and solidarity.”
As well as the public displays of unity, the ambassador said: “Away from the public eye, our military and intelligence communities began to work together on a level unseen in international relations: sharing information, conducting joint operations and disrupting threats in the weeks and months after 9/11.
“That co-operation saved countless lives – and it continues to save lives today. We must always remember the painful lessons 9/11 taught us.
“Because despite our disagreements and debates, the US-UK partnership has kept us safe for centuries: helping us overcome threats from Nazi tyranny to communist ideology to terrorist insurgency.”
He added: “In one of America’s darkest hours, the UK – a nation attuned to grief and terror – rose as one to stand alongside their American brothers and sisters.”