Two 9/11 victims identified using cutting edge tech days before 20th anniversary
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The remains of two victims of 9/11 have been identified cutting edge technology days before the 20th anniversary.
New York City's chief medical examiner said Dorothy Morgan and a man whose family asked that his name be withheld were identified through ongoing DNA testing of the 1,108 victims who could be identified at the time.
Almost 3,000 people died in a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in the USA on September 11, 2001, the majority of them in the World Trade Center as both towers were reduced to rubble.
Dr Barbara A. Sampson, Chief Medical Examiner, said: "Twenty years ago, we made a promise to the families of World Trade Center victims to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to identify their loved ones, and with these two new identifications, we continue to fulfil that sacred obligation.
"No matter how much time passes since September 11, 2001, we will never forget, and we pledge to use all the tools at our disposal to make sure all those who were lost can be reunited with their families."
Ms Morgan, 47, worked as a broken for financial firm Marsh & McLennan at the World Trade Center. She was identified through testing remains recovered in 2001.
The unnamed man's identity was confirmed through testing remains recovered in 2001, 2002 and 2006.
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They are first new victims to be identified since Michael Haub in October 2019.
Mark Desire, head of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner's missing persons and body identification unit, said the pair were identified through a new technique called Next-Generation Sequencing.
The technique uses a device about the size of a desktop printer. It analyses different components of DNA than long-standing methods and helps authorities identify the remains of victims that could previously not be placed.
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Mr Desire said: "We continue to push the science out of necessity to make more identifications. The commitment today is as strong as it was in 2001."
In the past 20 years since the attack, 48 victims have been identified using dental X-rays, 15 by others viewing their corpses, seven were named using objects and clothing on them, 33 through fingerprints and 9 using photos.
The majority have been named using DNA testing. The 20th anniversary of the world's most deadly ever terror attack is on Saturday.
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- September 11
- Terror
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