Authorities have announced the identification of the bodies of a man and a woman days before the 22nd anniversary of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. Officials have withheld the names of the two victims at the request of their families.
The New York City medical examiner has now identified 1,649 victims, a painstaking process that relied on cutting-edge DNA sequencing techniques to examine body parts found in the rubble.
Firefighters work at the World Trade Center towers, after the terrorist attacks in New York, September 11, 2001. Photo: AP
Officials said advances in sequencing technology, including increased test sensitivity and faster turnaround times, have allowed officials to identify the victims.
Despite advances in forensics, efforts to identify 9/11 victims have slowed in recent years. The last identification was made in 2019.
More than 1,000 remains from the September 11, 2001 attacks remain unidentified and are being held at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center site.
Dr. Jason Graham, the city's chief medical examiner, said officials are committed to identifying and returning the ashes of all victims of the attack to their loved ones.
“Faced with the largest and most complex forensic investigation in our country’s history, we are undaunted by the latest advances in science to serve this mission,” Graham said.
Mai Anh (according to AP)
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