New York marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks

New Yorkers on Friday commemorated the victims of the September 11 attacks on the 25th anniversary of the world-changing tragedy.

Family members of the victims, holding flowers and pictures of their loved ones, gathered at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza in Lower Manhattan in the morning.

US Vice President JD Vance attended the annual remembrance ceremony, along with four former presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

A moment of silence came at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Time (1246 GMT) in observance of when a hijacked passenger plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center, followed by the reading of victims' names by their loved ones. A second moment of silence took place at 9:03 a.m. Eastern Time, marking when another hijacked passenger plane crashed into the South Tower.

For the first time, this year's ceremony added a silent moment to mourn the thousands who have died since 2001 from illnesses related to the toxic dust that poisoned the air for months afterward.

As the sun set, two massive blue beams of light illuminated the sky, symbolizing the twin towers of the World Trade Center that collapsed in the attacks. Other iconic landmarks across the city, including the Empire State Building, also illuminated their facades in blue.

All New York City municipal departments and agencies flew their flags at half-mast on Friday to commemorate the anniversary.

In early September, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued an executive order designating September 11 as "Day of Remembrance and Service."

More than 200 firefighters from around the world, including dozens of Americans who responded to the terrorist attack, concluded on Thursday their 552 km cycling journey from Boston to New York's Ground Zero.

The "Ride for Resilience" aimed to pay tribute to the 343 firefighters fallen a quarter-century ago and support first responders still facing long-term health challenges, according to the organizers.

A special exhibition, "In Their Honor," is set to open on Saturday at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, focusing on how New Yorkers transformed their grief into action in the rebuilding of the city and neighborhoods in the wake of the tragedy. The exhibition will feature a massive papier-mache phoenix sculpture made by children of the victims.

On September 11, 2001, al-Qaida militants hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon and the fourth crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Almost 3,000 people were killed in the terrorist attacks.