Could this be true?

[Yoj]

Though it does nothing to reduce the degree of the crime or the level of outrage we should feel, the numbers given out for casualties today seems almost miraculously small.  If they are right, the death toll is under 7000.  Considering the number of people normally in the Trade Center, and the nature of the attack, it could easily have been far worse.  The buildings can be replaced - its the people that matter.

- Yoj

[Lizard3]

Peter Jennings just reported there are 4,700 missing in New York city. That doesn't account for all those identified already, and although its way way to many, its still allot better than the 20,000 people estimated earlier.

Let us pray.

[Serapis]

One friend of a friend of my fiancee survived because he overslept his temp job in the WTC -- lucky day to be a slacker.
It was a bit before 9:00 at least, and those below the impact points seem to have got out of the buildings much faster than they did the first time. Still, 7,000 is a mind boggling figure but, as you point out Yoj, it could have been much worse.

Charon