Overview

• OCME says roughly 40% of the 2,753 people killed at the World Trade Center remain unidentified 24 years later.
• Three additional victims were identified in August through advanced DNA testing enabled by newer extraction technology.
• Scientists continue to re-test preserved remains using automated systems and improved chemical processes that can recover DNA from tiny fragments.
• Technicians face one-shot decisions on gram-scale bones, weighing current methods against potential future gains and respecting family preferences.
• The ongoing work stems from early choices to preserve evidence and collect family DNA, following a recovery that sorted debris at Fresh Kills where 1.2 million tons were buried.