i'm watching the 9/11 documentary on channel news asia now.
it gives me goosebumps all over listening to those who died in the tragedy making phone calls to their loved ones and saying things like
"there's a fire at my office, but i think i'm alright. i love you, i'll call you when i'm safe"
"A plane hit my building.."
"I love you, tell the children i love them.."
"I'm trapped by debris, the walls are cracking, i can't leave the building."
"Look after the kids.."
"I'm stuck in this building in New York. I just want to tell you i love you. There's a lot of smoke here, I want to tell you i love you."
"it's on fire, and i can't breathe. Tell everyone i love them, and if i don't get out of here.. goodbye."
"You don't understand, there are just people jumping off the building. I have to get out of this floor, It's a miracle if i can get out of here. I love you."
Most people who were in the building, they had no idea what was happening, no idea what hit them (literally). I guess at that point of time, mass confusion reigned. Terrorist attacks were hardly on the minds of metropolitan New Yorkers, going to work on a day just like any other.Whoever was in charge of building management did not have adequate information to judge whether to evacuate the building, and eventually asked everyone to remain in their offices. They probably had no idea the massive scale and impact of the plane's collision, which would cause the whole building to collapse.
Listening to their calmness, panic, last few words..
A guy called Jim who was working in the building, was exceptionally calm and actually contacted New York Times and national television, trying to figure out how to solve their predicament. "He was just on national tv, he said he's gonna be alright."
Imagine the people who were left behind.
Imagine the little children whose father, whose mother died.
Imagine the firemen who went into the buildings to perform their duty of serving the public, but who sacrificed their lives in the end.
It stuns me as to how one can ruthlessly terminate the lives of thousands of other fellow human beings whom they did not even know due to their misguided beliefs. It chills me to the bones.
Those who suffer the most are not those who die, but those left behind, who have to cope with the unexpected demise of their loved ones in the most unprecedented way ever.
September 11, 2001.
The date that signals a new chapter in the post war era, which would usher in its own host of war and blood.
I
& all along, its only what I thought.
12:43 AM