The number of people who survived the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center is estimated to be around 14,000 to 19,000 present at the time, with approximately 17,400 civilians estimated to have been in the towers. Of those, almost all who were at or above the impact zones in the North Tower died, but in the South Tower, 18 people managed to escape from the floors above the impact zone. In total, thousands survived the initial attacks and evacuation efforts despite the tragic loss of 2,977 victims in the attacks (not including hijackers).
To summarize:
- Estimated 17,400 people were in the towers at the time.
- Almost all above impact zones in North Tower died.
- 18 people escaped from above impact zones in South Tower.
- Thousands survived on lower floors and elsewhere in the buildings.
This highlights the tragic scale but also the survival of many thanks to evacuation and emergency response efforts.
