An analysis of e-mail, phone calls and voice mail messages from the World Trade Center after the twin towers were attacked on September 11 shows that most of those who died were on the upper floors of the towers, The New York Times reported on Sunday.
Of the 2 823 believed dead in the attack, at least 1 946, or 69%, were killed in the top 19 floors of the north tower and the top 33 floors of the south tower, the Times, said.
The first plane hit the north tower on the 94th through 98th floors at 8:46 a.m. The second hit the south tower on the 78th through 84th floor at 9:03 a.m.
Many survivors of the attacks as well as friends and relatives who received calls and messages from the victims are pooling their recollections, tapes and phone records, The Times said. At least 353 of those who died in the towers were able to reach people outside, the records show.
The south tower collapsed about an hour after it was hit; the north tower stood for nearly two hours. But even after the second airplane struck, an open staircase connected the upper floors of the south tower to the street.
The Times has identified 18 people who used that staircase to escape. The newspaper said that based on a collection of at least 20 videotapes shot by both amateurs and professionals, at least 37 people jumped or fell from the north tower, but no one could be seen falling from the south tower.
In all, about 600 civilians died in the south tower at or above the plane’s impact. In the north tower, The Times said, every person believed to be above the 91st floor died ? 1 344.
Sean Rooney called his wife, Beverly Eckert, from the his office at Aon Corp. on the 98th floor of the south tower just as the second plane was screaming across New York Harbour.’
”Honey, this is Sean again,” he said. ”Looks like we’ll be in this tower for a while. … I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” – Sapa-AP