Transcripts: Reliving the horror

2003-08-27 20:45

Deon Lamprecht

Washington - Transcripts of emergency calls from people who died during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre (WTC) on September 11, 2001, will be released for the first time on Thursday.

This comes after a successful court application by the New York Times. The harbour authority of New York, which owned the WTC, unsuccessfully opposed the application. They argued that they were trying to protect the privacy of the victims and their relatives.

The harbour authority, which received telephone calls from trapped office workers before the twin towers collapsed, called on the media to not release the gruesome details of the transcripts.

Relatives of the victims are divided on the publication of the transcripts. Some say that it would open old wounds, while others deem it to be in the public's interest.

"For my children and I it is like a double setback, as if we have to live through everything again," Leila Negron, 36, said. Her husband Peter was a victim.

Monica Gabrielle, widow of Richard, said there is little about 9/11 that remained private.

"Hopefully the transcripts contain a lot of information that can show what went wrong, what was done properly and what could have been done better."

Some, like Rita Riccardelli, will not read the transcripts. "I know how it ended. My husband (Francis) did not come home. It's not that I am not interested. I simply can't."

The Times earlier obtained a court order forcing the harbour authority to make transcripts of radio communication from fire fighters in the building available.

Meanwhile, steps are being taken to place the remains of 1 200 victims who could not be identified forensically in a monument at Ground Zero. The remains will be dried and placed in airtight plastic bags.

Authorities hope that new forensic methods will be developed in future that will enable them to identify the remains.

- Beeld