Dead in each tower could be 'a few thousand'

CNN ^ | Wednesday, September 12, 2001

[JohnHuang2]

NEW YORK (CNN) -- New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday indicated the final death toll in the World Trade Center attacks could amount to a few thousand in each of the two towers.

"The numbers we are working with are in the thousands," Giuliani told reporters at a briefing, the day after hijacked airliners crashed into the twin 110-story trade center towers. "The best estimate we can make ... is that there will be a few thousand people left in each building."

[Fred Mertz]

I don't understand why they're trying to avoid/delay the inevitable. Tens of thousands perished. This was 10 years of Viet Nam in 2 hours. This was horrific.

[DCBryan1]

OK, which is it? A few thousand, or upwards of 20,000+!??

Within the next 48 hours, bodies are going to start to decompose and pose a great health risk to NY and to the rescuers...

...and that is on top of the asbestos.

[Fury]

I'm not sure how much asbestos was used for construction. There is certainly asbestos in VAT, but did the floors have tiles or just carpet or both? The asbestos is VAT is relatively stable, unless the tiles are ground up or burned. It may pose some problems. I bet they are monitoring the air...

[DoughtyOne]

One of my concerns today was that bodies might have been essentially pulverized. It would seem that there could be a very high possibility of disease after even four or five days. I don't know the dynamics of such things, but it did occur to me.

[Howlin]

Senator: 25,000 Casualties Possible

More Building Collapses In New York

WASHINGTON, 7:41 p.m. EDT September 12, 2001 -- A member of the U.S. Senate aviation subcommittee has been told there could be as many as 25,000 casualties in the East Coast terrorist bombings.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas was informed today that the figures likely will range between 15,000 and 25,000.

She didn't specify whether the figures include the dead and wounded or only the dead.

[Fred Mertz]

This is morbid but my prediction yesterday...I didn't post it, was/is 42,000. I hope and pray that I'm wrong again.

[Plutarch]

Casualties represent only those with some injury of some sort. The number of casualties will soar as soon as the lawyers figure out who can be sued (Osama bin Laden has deep pockets!). The number of fatalties I bet will likely be the few thousand mentioned.