Three Ground Zero firemen die of cancer on same day

Three retired firefighters who worked at Ground Zero have died on the same day from cancer, an illness that many fear might be connected to toxic World Trade Center dust released on September 11, fire officials said.

Lt Howard Bischoff, 58, and firefighters Robert Leaver, 56, and Daniel Heglund, 58, died within hours of one another on Monday.

Heglund died just one day before his 59th birthday. Bischoff and Leaver grew up together in Brooklyn and were childhood friends. More than 2,500 New York police, firefighters, ambulance and sanitation workers have contracted diseases since the day of the attack.