Is the new World Trade Center safer?

Rising to a symbolic height of 1,776 feet, One World Trade Center is an emblem of American resilience. With a cost of $3.9 billion, the tower is also a symbol of Western capitalism. Much of its price tag, however, is attributable to security enhancements that arguably make it one of the safest buildings in the world.



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In each tower, 99% of the occupants below the crash survived. At the impact area and above, survival was limited to just a handful of people in the south tower who made an amazing escape.

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On September 11, 2001, terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others in the worst attack against the homeland in our nation's history.

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On Sept. 11, 2001, 343 firefighters and paramedics were killed, most when the towers collapsed. Now, an equal number have died from 9/11-related illnesses, the FDNY says.

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The hijacked Flight 11 was crashed into floors 93 to 99 of the North Tower (1 WTC) at 8:46 a.m. The hijacked Flight 175 struck floors 77 to 85 of the South Tower (2 WTC) 17 minutes later at 9:03 a.m. When the towers were struck, between 16,400 and 18,000 people were in the WTC complex.

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Until the 2001 attack, it was notable for its huge twin towers, each of which had 110 stories, that formed a distinctive feature of the New York skyline. The roof of One World Trade Center reached to 1,368 feet (417 metres), and Two World Trade Center was 1,362 feet (415 metres) tall.

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Ultimately, 8 EMS providers and 343 firefighters died that day and countless more have succumbed to 9/11-related illnesses from their time working at Ground Zero.

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The North Tower (WTC 1) was the first building to be hit when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into it at 8:46 a.m., causing it to collapse at 10:28 after burning for one hour and 42 minutes.

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Photo by Amy Dreher. The story of the sacrifice of pilots and crewmembers aboard the four flights hijacked on 9/11 – American Airlines Flight 11, American Airlines Flight 77, United Airlines Flight 93, and United Airlines Flight 175 – is integral to the history of the day.

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The North Tower lasted around 46 minutes longer than its twin, having been struck 17 minutes before the South Tower was attacked and standing another half-hour after the South Tower collapsed.

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