Firefighters from the New York fire department don their gear on the run as they move cautiously but swiftly towards the twin collapses, shortly after the north tower too came down at 1028 EDT. Firefighters found it difficult to get any closer than two blocks from the complex. More than 250 members of their force, including William Feehan, first deputy commissioner, and Peter Ganci, department chief, were injured or feared dead in the disaster.

Photograph: Paresh Gandhi