World Trade Centre clean-up ‘could take 12 months’

The massive clean-up operation at the site of the collapsed World Trade Centre towers in New York could take up to a year to complete, it was announced today.

The sheer volume of rubble and the complexity of the operation, which includes clearing 10 destroyed stories below ground, meant at the very least it would be nine months before the area was cleared, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said.

As well as the massive pile of debris on the ground, there is underground damage and two subway railway systems to repair.

The cost of the project is also likely to rise as time passes, with repairs to the subway system alone costing stg£700m per mile.

Mr Giuliani said: ‘‘It is because of the complexity that they believe they are going to face, and particularly once they remove the surface structures and debris, the complexity they face in removing the structures which have been driven into the ground, which is something that will make the removal difficult.

‘‘For people that live in the area, work in the area, they are looking at anything from nine months to one year to clear the area.’’

The announcement came as Mr Giuliani fought to remain in office beyond December 31, when he is due to be replaced in City Hall after serving the maximum permitted two terms at mayor.

He has won the backing of two of the three mayoral candidates for a postponement of the new mayor’s inauguration by up to three months.

Billionaire Republican Michael Bloomberg and Democrat Mark Green have both backed the move, but Democrat Fernardo Ferrer has rejected the proposal.

New York State governor George Pataki said he was ‘‘supportive’’ of extending Mr Giuliani’s term office, which would need his rubber stamp.

Today, the mayor criticised Mr Ferrer and said: ‘‘If I were in their position, I would ask for this.’’

But Mr Ferrer said he would instead ask Mr Giuliani to oversee the rebuilding effort and added: ‘‘I know the politics of the moment might dictate a different position, but I am deeply concerned about the precedent this would set.’’

The mayor also said today that the number of bodies found at the World Trade Centre site had climbed to 306. 565 death certificates have been applied for following an offer to grant the certificates without bodies being found to those whose loved ones were missing.

The number of missing people has fallen to 5,960 as more bodies are found and identified.

Dr Robert Shaler, chief of forensic biology in the New York City medical examiner’s office, said post-mortem examinations had found most victims died from ‘‘blunt trauma’’ and others from burns, smoke inhalation and injuries from sharp debris.

A total of 8,786 people have reported injuries from the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre.

And more than 120,000 tonnes of debris have been removed from the 16-acre site with barges now being used to speed the effort up.

Debris is taken to a landfill site on nearby Staten Island where it is sifted by FBI investigators seeking vital clues to the hijackings.