Derek Difani has returned to Ground Zero for the first time since surviving the September 11 attacks, 25 years after he was trapped on the 61st floor of the World Trade Center’s south tower.
Difani was in Tower 2 when the first hijacked plane struck the neighbouring North Tower. He began making his way out as the scale of the disaster became clear.
He managed to escape shortly before both towers collapsed, leaving behind the site where thousands of people lost their lives.
Difani did not return to Ground Zero in the years that followed. His visit in 2026 marked his first time back at the former World Trade Center complex since the attacks.
The return brought him face to face with a place that had changed dramatically since that morning, while remaining closely associated with the events he survived.
