Scientists still working to make 9/11 DNA matches 24 years later

"The rumbling, it was the loudest, most violent time of my life,"

"That morning, it was all hands on deck, and our job was to preserve the evidence, so that means the victims, potential weapons, and pieces of the plane,"

"I would absolutely be dead,"

"This office made a promise to the families immediately following 9/11 that we would do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to identify their loved ones and return them to them,"

On September 11, 2001, Mark Desire entered the World Trade Center collapse zone after the first plane struck, experienced the south tower's collapse, and suffered a crushed foot while escaping. He collected evidence for the New York City Medical Examiner's Office and now works in a laboratory identifying remains of 9/11 victims. The Medical Examiner preserved DNA from the site and collected family reference samples, enabling the largest forensic investigation in U.S. history. The office committed to identifying and returning remains to families for as long as necessary. Approximately 40 percent of victims, about 1,100 people, remain unidentified. Technological advances since 2001 continue to enable new identifications.

Read at 6abc Philadelphia