Warning: This article contains descriptions of terrorism that some readers may find distressing
There are some experiences that leave a stain on the world, and its ripple effect is palpable.
And it's safe to say that one of the world's most tragic events is none other than the September 11 attacks in the US, which took the lives of over 2,977 victims.
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It was a day like any other for those in the two towers of New York City's World Trade Centre, when suddenly lives would be abruptly ended and changed by a sadistic and devastating terrorist attack.
On September 11, 2001 - commonly known as 9/11 - 19 terrorists from al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes full of passengers with the intention of crashing them into essential economic and governmental buildings.
All airlines were scheduled to travel from the East Coast to California but deviated from their paths to reach their targets.
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The first two planes were driven into the NYC Twin Towers, and the other two flights were taken toward Washington, D.C.
The third plane successfully hit the Pentagon, which is the headquarters of the US Department of Defense, while the fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers revolted against their captors and overthrew the plane, causing it to miss its target and fail to cause mass casualties to anyone other than those on board.
But it was the American Airlines Flight 11 - which flew into the North Tower of the World Trade Center - and United Airlines Flight 175 - which hit the South Tower early in the morning - that changed the course of US history forever.
It was there that the most damage was caused to the population, and a wave of grief swept the nation.
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Not only were the victims and their families traumatized, but those within the city who were engulfed by the smoke, chaos and confusion of what had just happened.
But in grief, there are moments of closeness.
A video has been shared on X recently, showing how an unlikely kinship was founded during a confrontation regarding the attacks. Take a look:
In the video, which is believed to have been taken shortly after the devastation unfolded, a man can be seen shouting into a crowd, swearing at others to ‘shut the f**k up’ as he described his ordeal of ‘pulling body parts’ out of the building.
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This is when a woman he had yelled at responded, saying she had also experienced the same thing on the first night after the attacks.
Immediately, you can see a shift in his demeanor as he realizes that someone else in the crowd understands exactly what he went through.
He then asked the woman: “What are we fighting for?”
In this heartbreaking moment, he describes never having seen body parts before and that he doesn’t want to fight with anyone as he doesn’t ‘know how to process this’ horror.
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That’s when they recognize their shared trauma and confusion over the event which followed them since the attack, leading them to tear up and share a comforting hug amongst the group.
X users rallied under the video with their shared support for the couple, who were being torn up inside by ‘rage’ and ‘confusion’.
Someone wrote: “Hmm... I feel their pain. That's definitely one of the worst experiences a person can go through. May the souls of all lost on 9/11 continue to rest in peace.”
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Another theorized: “We’re more alike than different.”
Someone else kindly wrote: “This is an event meant to tear us apart, brought us together. The memories of that day will never fade, but it’s how we remember that’s important.”
Sometimes, it’s the worst experiences that bring us together.
Britt Jones