One drone for every life lost: The Twin Towers return in light ahead of 25th anniversaryLast updated: September 11, 2026 | 11:142 MIN READOn Thursday night (Sept. 10, 2026), 2,977 lights rose above New York Harbour, one for each life lost on September 11, 2001, before forming the Twin Towers against the New York City skyline. The commemorative installation was created in collaboration with members of the 9/11 community, including family members, survivors and first responders, to mark the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks.@Earthcam | XNew York Harbour became a canvas of remembrance Wednesday night as 2,977 illuminated drones rose above the city, each representing one person killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.The aerial tribute, titled “2,977 Lights Over New York Harbour,” was staged two days before the 25th anniversary of the attacks. The lights first appeared as individual points across the night sky before slowly gathering into the full-scale outlines of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers.The display was designed to honour the victims individually while recalling the collective shock of the attacks, organisers said.Get it: Fast, verified news for FREE ... download the Gulf News app — simply click here Organisers said the exact number of lights was chosen “to hold witness for each individual life.” The 2,977 victims included people killed at the World Trade Center in New York, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers resisted the hijackers.The tribute also remembered firefighters, police officers, emergency medical workers and other first responders who ran toward danger as the attacks unfolded. Thousands of survivors, rescue workers and residents later experienced long-term health consequences linked to the disaster and its aftermath.The event was presented as a public act of remembrance rather than a reconstruction of the tragedy.The glowing towers appeared briefly over the harbour before dissolving back into individual points of light — an image meant to emphasize the people behind the historic number.US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared images of the display and expressed solidarity with the victims, their families and those who served after the attacks.“To the victims, their families, and all who served: We will never forget,” Duffy said in a statement posted on social media.The anniversary events come as a new generation reaches adulthood without personal memories of Sept. 11. Organisers said the installation was intended to keep the human cost of the attacks visible for younger viewers while reflecting New York’s resilience and the enduring role of public remembrance.Also In This PackageGet Updates on Topics You Choose