New York Pays Tribute to 9/11 Victims on 25th Anniversary

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New York: New York is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with a solemn ceremony at Ground Zero, where victims' relatives, survivors, first responders, and public leaders will assemble to remember the almost 3,000 people died that day.

At the National September 11 Memorial, the names of the 2,977 victims of the attacks are read aloud as families and loved ones gather around two memorial pools erected on the footprints of the former World Trade Centre towers. Silence is observed during important periods during the assaults, such as the hits and collapses of the towers.

The 25th anniversary is being observed across the United States, with Vice President JD Vance attending the New York ceremony, President Donald Trump honouring the occasion at the Pentagon, and officials attending a separate tribute in Shanksville.

For the first time, the anniversary ceremony also includes a seventh moment of silence for people who have died from illnesses and injuries linked to their exposure to toxic materials at Ground Zero. The long-term health consequences of the attack have claimed thousands of more lives among first responders, recovery workers, and others who were exposed to the scene.

The occasion also sparked new monuments throughout New York. On Wednesday night, 2,977 lights were projected over New York Harbour to represent each of the those murdered in the attacks. The lights temporarily formed an image of the Twin Towers, accompanied by the yearly Tribute in Light exhibit, which sends two beams into the night sky from Ground Zero.

Al-Qaida's 2001 strikes, which followed the hijacking of four passenger flights, impacted New York and reshaped US foreign policy and national security. Two planes hit the World Trade Centre, another impacted the Pentagon, and a fourth crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, as passengers attempted to recover control of the jet.

A quarter-century later, Ground Zero has transformed from a disaster scene to a memorial and emblem of New York's recovery. The National September 11 Memorial today draws people from all over the world, and the restored World Trade Centre has become an important element of Lower Manhattan's cityscape.