Giuliani: Finding Life Would Be A 'Miracle'
List Of Missing In New York Climbs To 6,333
UPDATED: 4:19 p.m. EDT September 21, 2001
NEW YORK -- New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said it's "impossible" that searchers at the World Trade Center will find large numbers of survivors.
And he said although there is still hope, it would be a "miracle" if rescuers even find a few people alive.
The mayor says the operation will soon shift focus. Searchers will try to find as many human remains as possible -- which he notes isn't much different from a rescue operation.
But he said even that will be difficult. The mayor said three fires are still burning underneath the collapsed complex.
Giuliani said he's been to the site about 30 times -- saying it now fills with him anger.
As for the city, Giuliani said people are staying home because they're "in mourning." But he's encouraging people to go out, shop, visit restaurants and resume their lives.
He spoke on his call-in show on radio station WABC.
The transfer clears the way for the criminal investigation into the Sept. 11 terrorist attack to intensify.
Additional human remains are expected to be recovered during the criminal investigation at the site, which could last for a month.
However, officials are conceding some of the victims of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon may never be accounted for.
Although identifiable bodies of 118 victims have been found, officials say that does not include various human remains. More than 30 people have been positively identified.
The fire chief in Arlington County, Virginia says all areas of the Pentagon with the exception of the fourth- and fifth-floor corridors of the three outer rings have been released to the Department of Defense.
 FULL STORY WORLD TIME CLOCK HOW TO HELP
* libertyunites.org: for donation, volunteer options. * United Way: to donate money to the Sept. 11 Fund, call (212) 251-4035 * Salvation Army: to donate money, call (800) SAL-ARMY * Helping.org BACKGROUND STORIES FBI
FBI toll-free number for anyone with information on the attacks. Call (866) 483-5137 or visit www.ifccfbi.gov.
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Ashcroft Visits 'Ground Zero'
Attorney General John Ashcroft is vowing to rebuild New York. He got a firsthand look at the World Trade Center devastation today, accompanied by FBI director Robert Mueller and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. They walked through ground zero, congratulating rescue workers along the way. After his tour, Ashcroft said that only in the midst of the twisted, torn and shattered rubble can one appreciate the scale of the act of war carried out on the American people. President Bush promised last night to rebuild the city, as a symbol of America's resolve.Rain Hampers Rescue Effort
Sightseers are posing this morning with the ruins of the World Trade Center behind them -- as hundreds of rescue workers in yellow slickers continue to dig through the wreckage. They're working amid some heavy rain and lightning.Earlier this morning, a 20-minute lightning storm stopped much of their rescue efforts and sent them scurrying for shelter.
The rain is also making it hard for crews to keep their footing. An iron worker says, "There's at least a foot of mud."
One passerby on the muddy streets said "everyone is transfixed" by the horror. Just weeks earlier, he said, his daughter had played at a free concert at the plaza of the World Trade Center.Bush Vows To Rebuild New York City
As the number of people believed trapped in the wreckage of the World Trade Center rose to 6,333, President Bush vowed to rebuild New York City as a symbol of America's resolve.
Hundreds of rescue workers in yellow slickers continued digging through the mangled wreckage of the towers in the rain as Bush praised their endurance Thursday night in a televised speech before Congress.
The president held up a police badge belonging to George Howard, a 45-year-old Port Authority officer who had been rushing toward the Trade Center to help when he was hit by debris and killed. Bush said he would carry the badge, given to him by Howard's mother, as a reminder of what needs to be done.
"It is my reminder of lives that ended and a task that does not end," Bush said. "I will not forget the wound to our country and those who inflicted it. I will not yield."
The site where the twin towers stood, now filled with rubble and rescue teams, has increasingly become a touchstone where politicians from across the United States and abroad are being brought to strengthen their resolve in the fight against terrorism.
FBI Takes Control Of Pentagon Crash Site
Rescue crews in northern Virginia have turned over the operational control of the Pentagon crash site to the FBI. REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11, 2001  More On AfghanistanWTC Memorial ServiceWTC Map Attack Timeline Download & Print American Flag Patriotic E-CardsIMAGES |
Number Missing In New York Climbs
The number of missing and presumed dead at the World Trade Center has climbed to 6,333, according to New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. That's an increase of more than 900. The number of missing had been at 5,422 for several days. Giuliani said, "The number may go up or down." Giuliani said city officials are trying to find out how many foreigners were lost in last week's terrorist strike. On a call-in show on WABC radio, Giuliani said lists of possible victims from foreign consulates are being cross-checked with other lists of the missing and injured. At least 63 countries are counting their citizens among the missing. The New York mayor also said it is virtually certain that no one will be found alive. He's acknowledging that the combination of a 2,000-degree fire caused by the explosion of the planes -- and the implosion of the twin 110-story towers -- make it likely that some victims' bodies will never be recovered. The bodies of 241 people have been found. Of those, 170 have been identified. However, Giuliani said earlier that even if authorities switch to a recovery effort at the site of the World Trade Center, crews won't stop looking for possible survivors. He said that crews have already moved 60,000 tons of debris.Dozens Still Hospitalized After NYC Attack
Dozens of the thousands of people injured in the World Trade Center attacks remain hospitalized with serious or critical injuries. Among them is a 30-year-old woman severely cut and burned when she came out of a subway station and was struck by a falling piece of airplane. A spokeswoman for New York Downtown Hospital says she's "feisty as can be" and expected to survive. Most of those who flooded hospitals on the day of the attack were not seriously injured -- and were released within hours after getting treatment for abrasions, eye problems and shock. Hospitals braced for hundreds or thousands more victims, but no survivors have been pulled from the wreckage since a day after the terror.Central Park Memorial Canceled, Yankee Stadium Memorial Scheduled
Officials canceled a memorial event planned for this weekend in New York's famed Central Park because of security concerns. The huge memorial would have been for those who died in the World Trade Center attacks. And as many as 1 million people were expected. Giuliani said it would be "beautiful" to get 1 million people together -- but probably not a good idea. Instead, Giuliani announced that there'll be a memorial at Yankee Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Admission will be by ticket only, and there'll probably be only enough room for about 60,000 mourners. Tickets for the event at Yankee Stadium are being issued through police precincts, and by Manhattan's Family Assistance Center. The interfaith prayer service for the more than 6,000 killed or missing is billed as a "Prayer for America." Among those who'll address the crowd are Cardinal Edward Egan, Imam Pasha and other Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders. The event will also be simulcast at three nearby minor league stadiums, so more people can take part. Related Stories:Copyright 2002 by WNBC.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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