Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks, the United States has once again paused to remember the thousands of people who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of 2001.
A major remembrance ceremony is taking place at the World Trade Center memorial site in New York, where relatives of victims and national leaders have gathered to pay tribute.
The ceremony features several moments of silence throughout the commemoration. They correspond to the critical moments when the hijacked planes struck their targets and when the World Trade Center buildings collapsed.
A further moment of silence honours people who survived the attacks but later died from illnesses associated with exposure to the events and their aftermath.
Vice-President JD Vance is among the officials attending the New York ceremony. Former President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani are also taking part in the commemoration.
The attacks on September 11, 2001, involved four hijacked passenger planes.
Two aircraft were flown into New York’s World Trade Center, destroying the Twin Towers. Another plane crashed into the Pentagon in the Washington area.
The fourth aircraft came down in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew members attempted to regain control of the plane.
The attacks claimed 2,977 lives and triggered major changes in US security, foreign policy and international relations.
Attention is also turning to the Pentagon, where President Donald Trump is expected to participate in a separate ceremony remembering those killed when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building at 9:37 a.m. local time.
Among the 184 people killed at the Pentagon were 59 passengers and crew members aboard the aircraft and 125 people inside the building.
As the United States observes the 25th anniversary, memorial events across the country are serving as reminders of the human cost of the attacks and the enduring grief carried by families who lost loved ones.
