Another bombing that occurred in the World Trade Center was the bombing of 1993. It occurred on February 26, 1993, to be exact. A car bomb was planted below the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The 1,500 lb "urea nitrate-hydrogen" gas device was intended to knock down the North Tower into the South Tower, bringing both towers down and killing thousands of people. This attack failed but even though it did, it killed about six people and injured 1,042 others. The attack was planned a group of conspirators. The way this was planned was ridiculous. A young man named Eyad Ismoil, drove a yellow van into Lower Manhattan, and pulled into the garage of the World Trade Center around the afternoon. Twelve minutes later, at around 12:17:37pm, the bomb exploded in the underground garage, generating a pressure of 150,000 "psi".
The bomb instantly cut off the main electrical line, knocking out the emergency lighting system. The bomb also caused smoke to rise up to about the 93rd floor of both the towers, including the stairwells. With the smoke blocking the stairwells, it was hard for evacuation to happen efficiently and quickly. Hundreds of people were trapped in the elevators, including a group of 17 kindergardeners on their way down to the South Tower's obversation deck. They were trapped between the 35th and 36th floor for about five hours. Although many people were injured and a couple died in the bombing of 1993, the towers did not collapse but the garage was damaged pretty badly. If the van was parked a little closer to the World Trade Center's concrete foundations, his plan would have succeeded. He eventually escaped back to Pakistan a few hours after the bombing.Deaths in the 1993 Bombing
1. Monica Smith, Age 35, a secretary, who was seven months pregnant, was in her office checking time sheets in the B-2 level.
2. Robert (Bob) Kirkpatrick, age 61, a locksmith, was eating lunch in a room next to the Smith's office.
3. Bill Macko, age 47, a maintenance worker, was also eating lunch.
4. Stephen Knapp, age 48, maintenance supervisor, was eating lunch with Macko and Kirkpatrick.
5. John DiGiovanni, age 45, a dental products salesperson, was parking in the underground garage.
6. Wilfredo Mercado, age 37, a receiving agent for Windows on the World Restaurant, was checking in deliveries.
A granite memorial fountain honoring the six who died during the bombing of 1993 was designed by Elyn Zimmerman and dedicated in 1995 on Austin J. Tobin Plaza, directly above the site of the explosion. It also included an inscription that said:
"On February 26, 1993, a bomb set by terrorists exploded below this site. This horrible act of violence killed innocent people, injured thousands, and made victims of us all."
The fountain was destroyed with the rest of the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks. A recovered piece from the 1993 bombing memorial with the text "John D.", from bombing victim John DiGiovanni, is being used as the centerpiece of a new memorial honoring the victims of both 1993 and the 2001 attacks.
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