More than 45,000 people are living with the physical manifestations of the September 11 attacks more than two decades after the tragedy.
At least 45,200 civilians and officers from the FDNY, NYPD and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are suffering from at least one cancer or disease that has been directly linked to the largest terrorist attack in history.
The whopping total is 1,408% greater than the death toll for the tragedy itself: 2,997 victims were killed in the Twin Tower collapse and aftermath.
The shocking number reflects the amount of victims enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program with verified illnesses — but because the project only recognizes some cancers and diseases, officials warn the true total of sick survivors is much higher.