9/11 Victims Increase Further: More than 16,000 Ground Zero Responders Who Have Been Affected Have Been Eligible for Rewards

The attacks of September 11, 2001, occurred 17 years ago, but many people continue to suffer and die after the attacks.

That day, 2,997 people died as a direct result of the attacks, most at the World Trade Center in New York, but others during the Pentagon attack and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed. in Pennsylvania.

Thousands more were injured, and in the years that followed, thousands more were sick or died of recovery efforts at Ground Zero.

Gifford Porter / Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images, FILE

As of August 31, the 2011 September 11th Congressional Victims Compensation Fund had found 20,874 claimants eligible for compensation and awarded more than $ 4.3 billion.

Of those who received or are considered eligible for awards, over 16,000 responded to the attack site at the World Trade Center in New York. These are the people who carried out rescue, recovery, demolition and debris clean-up operations in the aftermath of the disaster, including police officers, firefighters and FBI agents from the city and surrounding areas.

ABC News

"To this day, we are still losing officers every year because of the effects of September 11," NYPD chief Terence Monahan told ABC News.

The same goes for the fire department of New York City.

"The loss of life in our department on September 11 was amazing," said fire chief Dan Nigro, one of 343 firefighters who died that day. "Likewise, see this list of heroes grow every year without end in sight."

Twenty-three NYPD officers were killed at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Over the past 17 years, the department has reported that 156 other people have died from diseases contracted during the mountain of toxic debris. fallen towers.

Of the city's firefighters, 182 died of September 11-related illnesses, including 18 in the past 12 months, according to the FDNY. The names of the 18 were added to a memorial wall at the department headquarters during a ceremony Thursday.

John Roca / NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

"Our World Trade Center Memorial Wall is a symbol of our sacrifice, dedication and above all our courage, which is the hallmark of the FDNY," said Department Head James Leonard to the family. "Those we honor have worked on this site of destruction so terrible. They worked long, hard and painful hours sorting rubble for the victims. "

Federal officials have also seen a recent increase in the number of victims of September 11-related illnesses, including 15 FBI agents, the FBI said.

"These are people who have served their country in its time of need, much like the thousands of first responders who have flocked to this city," said Christopher Wray, director of the FBI. "We are only beginning to observe and understand the long-term effects of this work."

ABC News

Relatively few federal police officers have asked for help, a Justice Department official told ABC News when he had been working on the site of the attack that a retired officer had qualified for. of "cesspool of cancer".

Jose Jimenez / Primera Hora / Getty Images, FILE

On Friday, Wray and the Victim Compensation Fund's special master, Rupa Bhattacharyya, organized a forum at the September 11th National Memorial to encourage federal agents to sign up.

"All those who have done so much in the service of this country have the opportunity to obtain information on the benefits you receive through your service on September 11," said Battacharyya.