WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaWritten By: Srishti Singh SisodiaUpdated: Sep 11, 2022
WION Web Team
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The report found that fires that followed the impact of debris from the fall of the North Tower caused the collapse of WTC 7, however, delayed and insignificant information led to several mysteries and conspiracy theories.
The bright and sunny morning of September 11, 2001, descended into chaos and one of the darkest days in the history of the United States of America when unprecedented terrorist attacks shocked the nation.
The al Qaeda terrorists hijacked jetliners and smashed them into New York’s iconic World Trade Center, killing 2,753 people. A third plane hit the Pentagon, killing 184. The fourth hijacked plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania which killed 40 more.
North Tower and South Tower
A plane flying from Boston to Los Angeles with 92 people on board, including five hijackers, crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46am (local time). An hour and 42 minutes after the impact, the North Tower collapsed, releasing a huge cloud of dust and smoke.
At 9:03am (local time), another plane with 65 people on board — including five hijackers — hit the South Tower, sparking a massive explosion and causing it to collapse 56 minutes later.
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(Image: This 26 September 2001 aerial view obtained on 27 September from the US Coast Guard shows the still smouldering World Trade Center Complex in New York, 15 days after terrorists attacked the Twin Towers with hijacked jetliners. Source: AFP)
The collapse of Tower Seven
Besides the twin towers, a 47-storey third tower, known as Tower Seven, also collapsed after seven hours on the same day. The 9/11 Commission Report didn’t reveal much about Tower Seven but an official report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was published in 2008 that examined the collapse of World Trade Center Building 7, the federal building and the fire safety investigation of the World Trade Center disaster.
The report found that fires that followed the impact of debris from the fall of the North Tower caused the collapse of WTC 7, however, delayed and insignificant information led to several mysteries and conspiracy theories.
The then published reports had claimed that building fires were growing and spreading throughout the multiple floors, which became the ultimate reason for the collapse of the buildings.
Conspiracy theories
Before the official investigative report was published, some conspiracy theorists argued that the third tower was “brought down” in a controlled demolition as it was not hit by a plane. Some theorists continue to argue even after the government refuted the claims constantly.
Conspiracy theorists raised some striking questions like why the 9/11 Commission Report, which was issued on July 22, 2004, didn’t reveal much about Tower Seven, and why the tonnes of steel from the skyscraper was taken away to be melted down.
Importance of Tower Seven
The building was utterly important due to the presence of the Secret Service, the CIA, the Department of Defense and the Office of Emergency Management, which was supposed to coordinate any response to terrorist attacks.
Even more than 20 years after the deadly attacks, some conspiracies continue to contest the government claims but so far, no concrete evidence has been provided to support them and theories remain… mere theories.
Categories: America, American History, Americas, United States, USA