10:28 AM, 2001: The North Tower has collapsed. 2,600 people are inside the twin towers during their destruction. 20 survivors are rescued.

The collapse of the twin towers following the catastrophic terrorist attack was an unprecedented mass casualty event unmatched in modern history. The south tower of World Trade Center burnt for 56 minutes before collapsing, while the North Tower burnt for 1 hour 42 minutes. Firefighters had to climb up hundreds of flights of stairs to try and rescue victims. Most did not escape the buildings before collapse.

During the terrorist attacks, subways, tunnels, and bridges were shut. All air traffic was shut down over the continental United States. Under coordination of the Coast Guard, over 150 vessels and 600 sailors, Coast Guard and civilian, helped evacuate people who'd been stranded or injured. Over the course of September 11, they evacuated between 500,000-1,000,000 people, marking one of the largest maritime evacuations in history, larger than the 1940 evacuation of Dunkirk.

In the following hours, days, and weeks, immediate and non-stop rescue operations would take place. Of the 2,600 people that were inside the towers upon their collapse, 20 are rescued alive from the burning rubble within the 27 hours following the attacks. They would be the only survivors rescued from Ground Zero.

Rescue and recovery operations would involve thousands of people, including national guard, volunteers, structural engineers, plumbers, electricians, and 400 working dogs, the largest deployment of trained dogs in American history.

The rescue operations would be paused multiple times, as neighboring buildings were at risk of collapse due to damage from falling debris of the World Trade Center. The last fires at the World Trade Center site were extinguished on December 20, exactly 100 days after the attacks. The site would be cleared, with recovery and clean up operations lasting 8 months.

Of the 2,753 victims, 174 full bodies were recovered. 1,654 had partial remains recovered and identified. 1,099 have not had their remains identified, most often due to no physical remains at the sights of the terrorist attacks. For these 1,099 individuals, their final resting place remains at Ground Zero of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville Pennsylvania.

Today we remember and honor their life. We must Never Forget.