9/11 victims mystery as remains unidentifiable

The remains of as many as 1,000 people lost in the World Trade Centre attack might never be identified, according to the forensic biologist leading the DNA identification project.

The New York coroner’s office has identified slightly more than half of the 2,792 people killed in the attack in 2001 – only about 100 of those in the last year – as technicians struggled with DNA degraded and damaged by fire and the elements.