South Tower Wall Pulled Down

N E W   Y O R K, Sept. 25 -- The shattered skeleton of the World Trade Center is no more.

Workers pulled down the remaining and much photographed wall of the World Trade Center's South Tower. It was all that remained of the once massive 110-story twin towers following the Sept. 11 attacks when two hijacked airplanes crashed into them.

The roughly seven-story structure was considered a safety hazard, but this may not be the last anyone sees of it. New York City Mayor Rudolph Guiliani said it will be preserved for possible use in a memorial. Other ideas for honoring the victims include a commemorative U.S. coin and a fund-raising postage stamp.

"We will preserve as much of that wall as possible because there are people who have expressed an interest in doing a memorial that would involve reconstructing part of that wall," he said.

Little Hope Left

Two weeks after the attacks on the World Trade Center, hundreds of work crews remain, leaving large construction equipment to remove the incredible amounts of debris remaining.

Officials say at this point it would be a miracle if anyone was found alive in the rubble.

"Miracles have happened," Giuliani said today. "But it would be unfair for any broad hope."

The number of missing people in New York is 6,347 and the number of confirmed dead rose to 287, with 224 people identified. Forty-one New York City firefighters have been identified with 311 still missing. So far, no New York City police officers have been recovered.

Only five survivors have been found in the rubble, none since the day after the attacks. The massive pile has surrendered fewer than 20 bodies per day on average since the attack.

There are an additional 189 people missing or dead from the terrorist attack on the Pentagon the same day. A fourth hijacked plane went down in rural Pennsylvania, after passengers apparently tried to wrest control of the aircraft from the terrorists. All 44 on-board were killed.

Giuliani said some victims will never be recovered from the World Trade Center site because of the intense fire caused by the explosions of the two hijacked commercial planes. The fires continue to burn, still producing thick smoke.