September 11, 2001 is a date etched into the memories of people across the world, and for the most haunting of reasons.
Each year millions of people come together, online or in-person at various vigils, to pay tribute to the innocent souls who perished when the Twin Towers were targeted in arguably the most infamous terrorist attack in history.
The pain from that fateful day yet resides in the hearts of people all over the US – time heals all wounds, they say, but even now, 22 years on from 9/11, the shock is lived anew each year.
Despite being one of the most well-documented catastrophes ever to occur – resulting in the deaths of almost 3,000 people – there is still video material from 9/11 that remains relatively obscure.
One such video is doing the rounds now, reportedly showing the moment the Twin Towers began to collapse from below.
*Viewer discretion is advised.
Reporter NJ Burkett was reporting for ABC from the street below the World Trade Center after the first plane had hit and the South Tower began to collapse.
Burkett and his team were among the many forced to run for their lives – the reporter spoke candidly about the footage in 2021, on the 20th anniversary of the tragedy.
“It’s very difficult to look at the video, it’s very difficult to hear my voice in that video because had things gone the other way that would be the last 20 seconds or so of my life,” he explained.
He further elaborated: “I’ve spent the last two decades or so running from 9/11, my way of coping with the post traumatic stress has been to pour myself into my work.
“I decided this year that I needed to talk about it, that I needed to face it and begin the process of coping with it and coming to terms with it.”
NJ’s dramatic footage only rose to prominence last year when the clip was shared on Reddit.
Naturally, Reddit users reacted in their droves.
Maybe it just goes unsaid, but my strongest feeling that day was simply not knowing if it was over or if we were just seeing the beginning of something,” one person wrote.
“At least a few days passed before that feeling started to go away.”
Another added: “Still hard to wrap my head around what happened that day. So many people dying terrible deaths – just f**king awful.”
The life-changing events of 9/11 left a hole in the heart of America that might never be filled. Share this article to join us in sending prayers where they’re needed.
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