On the site of the New York "twins," a memorial to rescuers has been opened

New York - A new memorial site honoring the dedication of rescuers and firefighters who cleared the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 was opened today in Manhattan, New York. The memorial, located in the southeast corner of a three-hectare area, is dedicated to those who fell ill or succumbed to diseases caused by the harsh working conditions while clearing hundreds of thousands of tons of debris.

The small grassy area is highlighted by six fifteen-ton, rough-hewn granite boulders, which are meant to symbolize the strength and resilience of New York's rescuers. Each of the stones contains a steel fragment from the destroyed New York "twin towers," which were replaced by a new skyscraper in 2014.

Thousands of people cleared debris from the collapsed buildings in toxic conditions and clouds of dust after the 2001 attack. Doctors are still determining the health consequences left on individuals by the harsh conditions. An estimated 400,000 people living in southern Manhattan and 73,000 firefighters and rescuers were exposed to the risk of cancer and other serious illnesses.

Construction of the memorial began last fall, and the project by architects Michael Arad and Peter Walker cost nearly five million dollars (over 100 million CZK). The construction was partially financed by the charitable organization Bloomberg Philanthropies, whose owner and former New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg, opened the memorial today.

The tragic event has been commemorated since 2011 by the main memorial, built on the site of the terrorist attack. It consists of two large pools that trace the footprints of the "twin towers." Water cascades down the sides of the roughly nine-meter tall walls into a square opening at the bottom. The edges of the pools are lined with bronze plaques bearing the names of the victims. Between the pools stands the museum building.

In the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in which Islamist terrorists from the organization Al-Qaeda crashed hijacked planes into the towers of the World Trade Center, nearly 3,000 people died. The removal of 1.8 million tons of debris from the collapsed buildings lasted until May 2002.