Human remains discovered at Ground Zero
The remains of more than 1,000 victims have been recovered from Ground Zero
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Saturday, 21, Oct 2006 11:21
Human remains thought to be those of victims of the September 11th terror attacks have been found by utility workers removing rubble from manholes close to where the World Trade Centre once stood, a New York official has confirmed.
Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for New York's chief medical examiner, confirmed that the authorities were trying to identify the remains and would conduct DNA tests in the hope of matching them with profiles of victims gathered since the attacks.
The gruesome discovery comes just weeks after the fifth anniversary of the terror attacks on the World Trade Centre, when terrorists flew two planes into the building's twin towers.
The remains of about 1,150 of the 2,749 people killed in the attacks have never been identified or recovered.
Contractors working for the utility company Consolidated Edison discovered the remains on Thursday, the Associated Press news agency says.
The agency quoted New York port authority spokesman Steve Coleman who described some of the remains as being as large as arm or leg bones.
In response to the find, New York city authorities have ordered an inspection of other manholes and underground areas near the site in order to remove any further material that may be found.
Commenting following an emergency meeting between various city officials, ordered by New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, his deputy Edward Skyler said: "Under a protocol reviewed today, the city's medical examiner will be on-site to carefully sift through any material recovered to identify any human remains.
"The recovery effort after 9/11 was one of our city's finest hours," Mr Skyler added.
"We will continue to conduct this important work in the same dignified and caring manner as we did in the past, befitting those we lost and this great city."
However, relatives of those killed in the New York September 11th attacks have expressed concern at the discovery of the remains.
"We can no longer rely on accidental discoveries," said the campaign group, WTC Families for Proper Burial.
"This must be a deliberate search. May this awful news be the catalyst needed to go back and do the job well," the statement added.