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Witnessing a tragedy through your window



Peter Attard, a 48-year-old Gozitan living in New York is one of the few Maltese nationals to have witnessed the collapse of the World Trade Center first hand - not on TV... through the window of his home. Mr. Attard lives in Artoria, a few miles from downtown Manhattan.

The following is his experience in his own words:

"I first became aware of the horrific and barbaric attack on the WTC on September 11 when I switched on the computer and read a post from J&T (member of our discussion group on Gozo.com) that the Twin Towers were on fire. As I looked out from my fifth floor apartment window I could clearly see what he was describing. Incredulous enough I had seen the smoke a little earlier but for some reason ignored it thinking it was smoke from some nearby chimney, which is not uncommon.

Immediately I switched on the TV and sure enough the tragedy was being broadcast live, needless to say I was stunned and dumbfounded at what I was witnessing, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. So now I was watching this horrible unimaginable event both on TV and out my window since I have a clear view of the New York skyline. The thought that kept running through my mind was of those poor souls trapped in those towering skyscrapers.

The television made it possible to get a closer look at the horrible scene as the camera occasionally focused closer into the burning towers. And it was at such a moment that I really sensed that something really disastrous was about to happen when a cloud of debris and dust started forming from one of the towers and rushed downwards. My God the Tower was collapsing!! I rushed to the window and saw one of the towers collapsing. A huge cloud of dust immediately started swelling engulfing the city skyline. Clouds of white dust were rising from the ground up from between individual buildings mushrooming and swallowing up the city, until the city was completely obscured in a cloud of dust, which kept mushrooming. It was frightening and unbelievable it reminded me of vision of apocalypse. For a brief moment one didn't know what was going to happen next or what happened to the city since it became completely invisible in a cloud of dust.

I called my brother who lives near La Guardia Airport to inform him what is happening. An hour or two must have passed since this nightmare had started when I realized I had better call my sister in Gozo to inform her that I was OK. Since I was sure that she would be aware of the news and concerned for my well being. When I reached my sister she was in great distress, and broke down in tears. Much relieved in hearing my voice, she had been frantically trying to contact my brother and myself.

She told me, our relatives from Australia were trying to reach us but couldn't get through. Eventually we related our message to all our relatives that thank God we were safe and sound.

Peter Attard
NYC

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