World Trade Center (WTC) Responder Fatality Investigation Program

Total Number of Deaths = 614

  • Two people had undetermined causes of death.

There were 12 deaths among military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan for whom death certificates could not be obtained. These deaths are not included in the tables below but are included in the final count.

Table 1. Confirmed cause of death as identified by death certificates and autopsies – Traumatic Deaths
  All Deaths Line of Duty Deaths
N % N %
Total Traumatic 146 100 27  
Exposure to harmful substances or environments 43      
  Ingestion of substance 38      
Transportation incident 41   8  
  Highway transportation incident 34   4  
Fires and explosions 13   9  
  Fires 10   7  
Assaults and violent acts 47   10  
  Assaults by other person(s) 14   10  
  Self-inflicted injuries 33      

Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately.

Table 2. Confirmed cause of death as identified by death certificates and autopsies – Illness Deaths
  N %
Total Illness Deaths 454 100
Infectious and parasitic diseases 19  
  Hepatitis C 9  
  HIV 8  
Neoplasms 249  
  Lip, oral cavity and pharynx 5  
  Digestive organs and peritoneum 75  
    Esophageal (14)  
    Gastric (9)  
    Colon (18)  
    Liver (9)  
    Pancreas (21)  
  Respiratory and intrathoracic organs 60  
    Lung (54)  
  Skin 9  
    Melanoma (9)  
  Breast and female genital organs 14  
    Breast (8)  
  Male genital organs 7  
    Prostate (7)  
  Urinary organs 15  
    Renal cell (9)  
    Bladder (5)  
  Nervous system 15  
  Brain (14)  
  Ill-defined, secondary and unspecified 12  
    Unknown Site (9)  
  Lymphoid, haematopoietic 31  
    Lymphoma (11)  
    Lymphoid Leukemia (5)  
    Myeloid Leukemia (7)  
Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases 9  
  Diabetes Mellitus 6  
Nervous System 5  
Circulatory system 114  
  Hypertensive disease 12  
  Ischemic heart disease 55  
    Acute Myocardial Infarction (16)  
    Chronic Ischemic Heart Disease (39)  
  Other forms of heart disease 17  
  Cerebrovascular disease 17  
  Disease of arteries, arterioles and capillaries 7  
  Disease of veins, lymph, nec 5  
Respiratory system 22  
  Influenza and Pneumonia 9  
  Chronic lower respiratory diseases 7  
Digestive system 17  
  Liver 11  
    Cirrhosis (9)  
Genitourinary 7  
  Renal failure 5  

Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately.