NEW YORK — On Wednesday, New York City solemnly commemorated the anniversary of the 1993 bombing at the original World Trade Center. This attack marked the beginning of a series of tragic events as Islamic extremists attempted their initial assault on the twin towers utilizing 1,200 pounds of explosives in a rental van parked below.
The devastating explosion on February 26 of that year claimed the lives of six people, including a pregnant woman. To honor the memory of those lost, relatives gathered at the Trade Center’s memorial plaza, laying flowers and reading the names of their loved ones.
At precisely 12:18 p.m., a bell tolled to signify the exact time the explosion occurred in the underground parking garage. Beth Hillman, president and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, stated, “We gather to pay tribute to the innocent people killed and the more than 1,000 people who were injured that day. It is our steadfast mission and a great privilege to preserve the history of this tragic event, to honor those individuals who died, to stand in shared grief with you, their family and friends, and share with the world their stories, the courage of first responders, and the resilience of those who survived.”
Earlier in the day, a poignant Mass was held at St. Peter’s Church by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, who suffered the loss of four employees during the 1993 attack.
The bombing led to the conviction of six individuals, including the alleged leader Ramzi Yousef. The blast left a 150-foot-wide crater in the Trade Center’s parking garage, which was repaired, but the site faced destruction again on September 11, 2001. This subsequent tragic event saw nearly 3,000 lives claimed as the towers fell. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, identified as the self-proclaimed mastermind behind the September 11 attacks, was related to Yousef as his uncle.
While a fountain erected to commemorate those lost in the 1993 bombing was destroyed in 2001, the victims are presently remembered on the same plaza. Two extensive pools of cascading water now occupy the spaces where the towers once majestically stood, providing a place of reflection and memory.
