25 years after 9/11: Stories of Indian-origin families who lost loved ones at the World Trade Center
Twenty-five years later, their stories offer a glimpse into the lives behind the numbers and the ways families have carried their grief across decades.
- Sep 11, 2026,
- Updated Sep 11, 2026 9:00 AM IST
Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the memories of the 2,977 people killed that day remain deeply personal for the families they left behind.
The attacks, carried out by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists who hijacked four commercial aircraft, struck the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon near Washington, DC. United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew attempted to regain control of the plane. The victims came from more than 90 countries, making 9/11 a tragedy that reached far beyond the United States.
Among those killed were people of Indian origin whose families were living in the US. Twenty-five years later, their stories offer a glimpse into the lives behind the numbers and the ways families have carried their grief across decades.
A son who happened to be there
For Arjan Mirpuri, that loss was his son Rajesh, who was 30 when he died at the World Trade Center.
Rajesh did not work at the towers. He had gone there that morning to attend a trade show.
"My son did not even work at the World Trade Centre. He had gone there that day to attend a trade show. Before that day, Rajesh had never gone to the WTC. 9/11 became the most unfortunate day of our lives," Mirpuri told PTI.
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Rajesh's death changed the Mirpuri family forever. Years later, his father said the family had tried to move forward, but accepting the loss did not make it easier.
"We have tried to move on in life. We have to accept God's will but nothing can compensate the loss of losing a son in such a manner."
Every September 11, the family holds a religious ceremony in Rajesh's memory.
For Mirpuri, the passage of time has not altered the reality of losing his son.
"It may be 10, 15 or 20 years but we have to live with the loss everyday single day of our lives. Our son has gone forever. We pray that no parent has to go through such a loss."
Mirpuri has also stayed away from the political debate around terrorism, saying the focus should remain on the innocent people who lost their lives.
"We can only pray that the perpetrators of such acts realise what they are doing and stop taking the lives of innocent people.
The world should live in peace and harmony," he said.
A brother's last memories
For surgeon John Mathai, September 11 is tied to the loss of his younger brother Joseph, a leading technologist who decided at the last minute to attend a meeting at the World Trade Center.
Joseph's last conversation was with his wife, Teresa. He told her there was smoke inside the tower and that he was waiting for instructions to get out.
John believes his brother may have initially managed to escape the building.
"The loss of my brother is a loss that will never be replaced. Ten years have gone by but there has hardly ever been a day where I have not thought of him and the wonderful time we spent in New York," Mathai said.
Some of John's strongest memories are of the time the brothers spent together in New York.
One was a visit to the 'Windows on the World' restaurant on the 106th floor of the North Tower, where the brothers ate sushi.
"I have not eaten sushi since his death," John says.
The memory is a reminder of how personal the loss remains decades after the attacks. For families, 9/11 is not only associated with the images of the collapsing towers or the events that changed US history. It is also connected to ordinary moments shared with people who never came home.
Turning grief into a legacy
For attorney Umang Shastri, the memory of his cousin Neil has continued through a foundation established in his name.
Neil was 25 and worked for an internet company. He had married his childhood sweetheart just three months before the attacks and spoke to his wife as the towers collapsed.
"At that point, he didn't say he wasn't going to make it," Umang says in an interview to India-West.
The family later established the Neil G Shastri Foundation for Education. Over the years, it has donated almost $95,000 to several organisations.
The foundation has supported a school in Bihar and created a scholarship for students at Rutgers University, where Neil studied.
For the family, the work also became a way of dealing with the loss.
"Early on, the fundraiser was very helpful. It was a distraction that required us to put our energy into something other than thinking about Neil's death," he said.
Must Read: Westinghouse plans 18 nuclear power plants in India by 2047
The victims included office workers, first responders, airline passengers, tourists and people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They came from different nationalities, religions, professions and backgrounds.
Twenty-five years later
A quarter of a century has passed since the attacks. New York's skyline has changed, the World Trade Center site has been rebuilt and a generation has grown up with 9/11 as an event they know largely through history, photographs and the stories of others.
For the families who lost someone, the date carries a different meaning.
The grief has had to coexist with marriages, children, careers and the ordinary passage of time. Some families have created foundations, scholarships or annual ceremonies to keep memories alive. Others continue to hold on to small, deeply personal reminders of the people they lost.
Twenty-five years later, 9/11 remains part of American history and a defining moment in global history. But for the families of the 2,977 victims, it is also something more immediate: the day they lost someone they loved.
(With inputs from PTI)
Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the memories of the 2,977 people killed that day remain deeply personal for the families they left behind.
The attacks, carried out by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists who hijacked four commercial aircraft, struck the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon near Washington, DC. United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew attempted to regain control of the plane. The victims came from more than 90 countries, making 9/11 a tragedy that reached far beyond the United States.
Among those killed were people of Indian origin whose families were living in the US. Twenty-five years later, their stories offer a glimpse into the lives behind the numbers and the ways families have carried their grief across decades.
A son who happened to be there
For Arjan Mirpuri, that loss was his son Rajesh, who was 30 when he died at the World Trade Center.
Rajesh did not work at the towers. He had gone there that morning to attend a trade show.
"My son did not even work at the World Trade Centre. He had gone there that day to attend a trade show. Before that day, Rajesh had never gone to the WTC. 9/11 became the most unfortunate day of our lives," Mirpuri told PTI.
Don't Miss: Westinghouse plans 18 nuclear power plants in India by 2047
Rajesh's death changed the Mirpuri family forever. Years later, his father said the family had tried to move forward, but accepting the loss did not make it easier.
"We have tried to move on in life. We have to accept God's will but nothing can compensate the loss of losing a son in such a manner."
Every September 11, the family holds a religious ceremony in Rajesh's memory.
For Mirpuri, the passage of time has not altered the reality of losing his son.
"It may be 10, 15 or 20 years but we have to live with the loss everyday single day of our lives. Our son has gone forever. We pray that no parent has to go through such a loss."
Mirpuri has also stayed away from the political debate around terrorism, saying the focus should remain on the innocent people who lost their lives.
"We can only pray that the perpetrators of such acts realise what they are doing and stop taking the lives of innocent people.
The world should live in peace and harmony," he said.
A brother's last memories
For surgeon John Mathai, September 11 is tied to the loss of his younger brother Joseph, a leading technologist who decided at the last minute to attend a meeting at the World Trade Center.
Joseph's last conversation was with his wife, Teresa. He told her there was smoke inside the tower and that he was waiting for instructions to get out.
John believes his brother may have initially managed to escape the building.
"The loss of my brother is a loss that will never be replaced. Ten years have gone by but there has hardly ever been a day where I have not thought of him and the wonderful time we spent in New York," Mathai said.
Some of John's strongest memories are of the time the brothers spent together in New York.
One was a visit to the 'Windows on the World' restaurant on the 106th floor of the North Tower, where the brothers ate sushi.
"I have not eaten sushi since his death," John says.
The memory is a reminder of how personal the loss remains decades after the attacks. For families, 9/11 is not only associated with the images of the collapsing towers or the events that changed US history. It is also connected to ordinary moments shared with people who never came home.
Turning grief into a legacy
For attorney Umang Shastri, the memory of his cousin Neil has continued through a foundation established in his name.
Neil was 25 and worked for an internet company. He had married his childhood sweetheart just three months before the attacks and spoke to his wife as the towers collapsed.
"At that point, he didn't say he wasn't going to make it," Umang says in an interview to India-West.
The family later established the Neil G Shastri Foundation for Education. Over the years, it has donated almost $95,000 to several organisations.
The foundation has supported a school in Bihar and created a scholarship for students at Rutgers University, where Neil studied.
For the family, the work also became a way of dealing with the loss.
"Early on, the fundraiser was very helpful. It was a distraction that required us to put our energy into something other than thinking about Neil's death," he said.
Must Read: Westinghouse plans 18 nuclear power plants in India by 2047
The victims included office workers, first responders, airline passengers, tourists and people who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They came from different nationalities, religions, professions and backgrounds.
Twenty-five years later
A quarter of a century has passed since the attacks. New York's skyline has changed, the World Trade Center site has been rebuilt and a generation has grown up with 9/11 as an event they know largely through history, photographs and the stories of others.
For the families who lost someone, the date carries a different meaning.
The grief has had to coexist with marriages, children, careers and the ordinary passage of time. Some families have created foundations, scholarships or annual ceremonies to keep memories alive. Others continue to hold on to small, deeply personal reminders of the people they lost.
Twenty-five years later, 9/11 remains part of American history and a defining moment in global history. But for the families of the 2,977 victims, it is also something more immediate: the day they lost someone they loved.
(With inputs from PTI)