Current:Home > FinanceAuthorities identify remains of 2 victims killed in 9/11 attack on World Trade Center-LoTradeCoin
Authorities identify remains of 2 victims killed in 9/11 attack on World Trade Center
View Date:2024-12-24 00:04:33
NEW YORK (AP) — The remains of two people who died in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center have been identified, the latest positive identification in the decadeslong effort to return victims to their families.
Authorities confirmed the identification of the remains of a man and woman days ahead of the 22nd anniversary of the hijacked-plane attack that killed nearly 3,000 people in Lower Manhattan. Their names were withheld by city officials at the request of their families.
New York City’s medical examiner has now been able to link remains to 1,649 World Trade Center victims, a painstaking process that relies on leading-edge DNA sequencing techniques to test body fragments recovered in the rubble.
Advancements in the sequencing technology, including increased test sensitivity and faster turnaround times, have allowed officials to identify remains that had tested negative for identifiable DNA for decades, officials said.
Similar efforts are used by the U.S. military to identify missing service members and are currently underway to test body fragments from more than 100 people killed during the wildfires in Maui last month.
Despite forensic advancements, the effort to identify the remains of 9/11 victims has slowed in recent years. The two positive identifications are the first since September 2021, officials said. Before that, the last identification was made in 2019.
More than 1,000 human remains from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks have yet to be identified. They are currently being stored at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center site.
Dr. Jason Graham, the city’s chief medical examiner, said officials were committed to fulfilling their “solemn pledge” to return the remains of all of the attack’s victims.
“Faced with the largest and most complex forensic investigation in the history of our country, we stand undaunted in our mission to use the latest advances in science to serve this promise,” Graham said.
veryGood! (41)
Related
- After Baltimore mass shooting, neighborhood goes full year with no homicides
- North West Joins Mom Kim Kardashian on Red Carpet at Daily Front Row Awards
- The exact link between tornadoes and climate change is hard to draw. Here's why
- Kate Middleton Gives a Clue on Her Coronation Outfit for King Charles III's Regal Celebration
- Nelly will not face charges after St. Louis casino arrest for drug possession
- You'll Want to Circle Back on TikTok Star Corporate Natalie's Advice Before Your Next Performance Review
- Savannah Chrisley Says She Was Kicked Off Southwest Flight for Being Unruly
- Look Back on Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant's Low-Key Romance
- Today’s Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and More React to Craig Melvin Replacing Hoda Kotb as Co-Anchor
- The Big Bang Theory Alum Kevin Sussman Marries Addie Hall
Ranking
- Round 2 in the Trump-vs-Mexico matchup looks ominous for Mexico
- The Colorado and Ohio rivers are among the 'most endangered' in America. Here's why
- We Can't Calm Down After Seeing Taylor Swift's Night Out With Gigi Hadid, Blake Lively and HAIM
- Olympian Simone Biles Marries Jonathan Owens in Texas Ceremony
- The Best Gifts for Men – That He Won’t Want to Return
- Why Sleuths Have Determined Only Murders in the Building Season 3 Is Coming Soon
- How ancient seeds from the Fertile Crescent could help save us from climate change
- And Just Like That Confirms Aidan’s Epic Return in Season 2 Teaser
Recommendation
-
Deion Sanders says he would prevent Shedeur Sanders from going to wrong team in NFL draft
-
Jennifer Love Hewitt Shares Rare Glimpse of Her Kids During Disneyland Family Outing
-
1923 Star Brandon Sklenar Joins Blake Lively in It Ends With Us
-
Across Canada, tens of thousands have evacuated due to wildfires in recent weeks
-
Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul referee handled one of YouTuber's biggest fights
-
How disappearing ice in Antarctica threatens the U.S.
-
Arctic chill brings record low temperatures to the Northeast
-
Madison Beer Details Suicidal Thoughts, Substance Abuse, Sexual Assault in Her Book The Half of It