New York, 9 September

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday released some 1,70,000 pages of official documents relating to the worsened air quality after the 11 September, 2001, saying that city leaders “lied” about how safe it was to breathe. 

“More people have died from 9/11-related illnesses than were killed on the day itself,” Mamdani claimed at a press conference, a day ahead of the 25th anniversary commemorating the 9/11 attacks that killed 2,977 people. 

“People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air,” Mamdani added. His remarks add to suspicions that leaders prematurely allowed workers and residents back into area around Lower Manhattan where the Twin Towers fell.

The destruction of the towers sent a cloud of dust across Lower Manhattan. Fires burned in the rubble for months.

The records show asbestos was found near Ground Zero for months after the attacks at the same time people were being advised it was safe to go there.

The records released by Mamdani’s administration also include the Harding Memo, which show that officials anticipated 10,000 lawsuits against the city over issues like “toxic exposure” due to the poor air quality and “faulty” safety equipment, indicating that they knew the air was unfit to breathe.