9/11 attacks: 25 years on, a look back at the tragedy in pictures

The 9/11 attacks killed 2,977 people from 90 countries and changed the world forever

Last updated:
Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor
Smoke billows from one of the towers of the World Trade Center and flames and debris explode from the second tower in New York, Sept. 11, 2001
Smoke billows from one of the towers of the World Trade Center and flames and debris explode from the second tower in New York, Sept. 11, 2001
AP

On September 11, 2001, 19 Islamist Al Qaida terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger planes in a coordinated attack that changed the course of modern history. Two aircraft were deliberately flown into the North and South towers of New York’s World Trade Centre, while a third struck the Pentagon near Washington, DC. The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew members fought back against the hijackers.

Flight 11 hit the North Tower at 8.46 am, followed by Flight 175 striking the South Tower at 9.03 am. The South Tower collapsed at 9.59 am, Flight 93 crashed at 10.03 am, and the North Tower fell at 10.28 am. The attacks killed 2,977 people from 90 countries and triggered a vast rescue and recovery operation.

Look back in photos at the events of that day, from the attacks

Devadasan K P
Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor
Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 27 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

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