The 2001 World trade center disaster – summary and evaluation of experiences

Objectives: To collect and analyze data from deaths and injuries, and from evaluation of the responses by medical services and by fire, rescue, and police services 1 year after the terror attack on World Trade Center. Methodology: Epidemiologic data were collected from all involved agencies and analyzed. The authors per-sonal experience from working at the scene during the event and several other personal testimonies were also included in this analysis. Results: Totally 2,762 death certificates were issued by the state of New York for victims of the terror attack. 1,361 (49.9%) of these were issued for victims whose remains could not be identified. All but nine of these victims died at the day of the attack. 77 % of the vic-tims were male, medium age 39 years. Of the dead were 342 fire fighters and paramedics and 60 police officers. A total of 1,103 patients were treated during the first 48 days in five key hospitals receiving the majority of the injured. 29 % of these were rescue workers. 66 % of the injured were male, average age 39 years. The most common injuries were respiratory impairment (49%) and ocular affection (26%), many severe. The most common trauma was lacerations (14%) and sprains (14%). Of those administered to hospital, 19 % had trauma and 19 % burns. Head injuries were registered in 6 % and crush injuries in 4%. With regard to response from involved agencies, commu-nication failure was the most common and difficulties in command operations and scene control were also prevalent. Conclusions: The difficulties encountered were very similar to those commonly seen in major accidents or disasters, although on a great scale. Response plans have to be critically reviewed based on the experi-ences from this and other events, in order to pre-empt difficulties such as those described here in future re-sponses to major urban accidents and disasters