9/11 anniversary: Lesser-known facts about horrifying terror attack that shook US in 2001

The September 11 attacks, also known as the 9/11 terror attack, was a tragedy that shook the United States and it also had a huge impact globally. The horrifying attack, which took place in 2001, was an attack on New York’s iconic World Trade Centre that killed nearly 3,000 people. It was a series of four coordinated suicide attacks by the terrorist group al-Qaeda. Till this day, 9/11 families say that it is important for the world to pause and remember the attack that shaped American policy, perceptions of safety and daily life in place from airports to office buildings. 

As today the world observers the 19th anniversary of the 2001 attacks, listed below are some of the lesser-known facts about the horrifying incident: 

Largest investigation

The investigation into the September 11 attacks was code-named ‘PENTBOMM’ and it was reportedly the largest FBI investigation to date. As per reports, more than half of the FBI agents were involved at the peak of the case in a bid to identify the hijackers and sponsor of the attack. 

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Largest crime scenes 

The 9/11 tragedy was a series of four coordinated attacks. Al-Qaeda first hi-jacked four US passenger planes between 8:00am to 9:00am and then crashed them into the World Trade Centre complex in Manhattan, Pentagon in Virginia, and field in Pennsylvania. The crash sites were reportedly the largest crime scenes in FBI history and the case included over half-a-million investigative leads, counting several hundred thousand tips from the public. 

Mysteries around the attack 

As one of the flights crashed in a field, the ultimate target of Flight 93 remains one of the biggest mysteries of 9/11. According to reports, the 9/11 Commission had noted that the hijackers had turned the navigation to guide the Boeing 757 towards Washington. However, the report by the officials still remains inconclusive about the final destination. 

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Clean-up and restoration

The last fires at Ground Zero weren’t extinguished completely until December 2001. The rescue and recovery clean-up of the 1.8 million tons of wreckage from the WTC site took almost nine months. On the other hand, the Pentagon building was repaired within a year. 

Post 9/11 terror attacks 

While over 3,000 people were killed, only 20 people were able to survive the crash of the WTC. As per reports, an estimated 410,000 people were exposed to asbestos, which is a toxic substance, at WTC in 2001. Over 185,1010 tons of steel left at Ground Zero was also reportedly used in memorials across the US, but some were even sold to China and India. 

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