About 300 bone fragments of victims of the September 11 terror attacks have been found near Ground Zero in New York during preparations for a demolition, sparking an outcry from families. The remains have been found on a worksite preparing to tear down the Deutsche Bank skyscraper, next to the location of the World Trade Centre, which was rendered unfit for use after the September 11, 2001 assault. Seventy-four human remains were discovered on April 1 on the building's roof. According to the New York City medical examiner's office, more human remains are expected to be found as the project continues. "Whatever doesn't look like gravel, they examine," a spokeswoman for the office, Ellen Borakove, told The New York Times newspaper. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is responsible for analysing traces of DNA found in the remains to identify victims.
The Skyscraper Safety Campaign, joined by other September 11 family groups, says it is "shocked and horrified" to learn of the discovery of the 300 human remains nearly five years after the attacks, not from the medical examiner's office but from the New York media. The families also object that work at the site does not involve forensic specialists.