Although the Sept. 11 attacks are now 17 years distant, the victim count continues to rise. Most are rescue workers and others who labored in the toxic smoke of Ground Zero.
Twenty-three NYPD officers were killed at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. In the 17 years since, the department says another 156 have died of illnesses contracted from their time on what was then known as “the pile,” the mountain of toxic debris from the fallen towers.
Among city firefighters, 182 have died of 9/11-related illnesses, including 18 in the past 12 months, according to the FDNY. The names of the 18 were added to a memorial wall at the department's headquarters during a ceremony Thursday.
Cancer, respiratory problems, and post-traumatic stress disorder are among the issues faced by first responders and by investigators, utility workers, bus drivers, and others who supported those efforts. World Trade Center Health Program director Dr. Michael Crane says that 8,000 of the program's patients have been diagnosed with cancer, but warns that those numbers are expected to rise significantly in the next few years.
Asbestos-related cancers, notably lung cancer, can take 20 years for symptoms to show. “It’s time for them to start appearing,” Crane told NBC News.
Although the 9/11 Victims Fund is set to expire at the end of 2020, public advocates are urging Congress to speedily pass an expansion and extension of the program so that support for victims may continue without interruption. There are also concerns that the program's funding may run out even sooner than that as victims continue to come forward.
Though 17 years have passed since the 9/11 attacks, it is certain that there will be more victims in the coming years. Fund director Rupa Bhattacharyya has been urging all those who lived or worked near Ground Zero in the aftermath of the attacks to apply for medical screenings and help if needed, and to do so before the 2020 deadline specified by the current law. You can learn how to apply here.