A MAN who escaped alive from the 25th floor of the World Trade Center has given a harrowing account of his experience and his joy at being reunited with his wife.
Kevin Morl, 32, lived with his parents in Templeton Avenue, Chingford, until he married Julie in 1996 and moved to Loughton.
A year later, the former pupil of Larkswood Primary and the former Wellington Avenue and Nevin Drive schools, went to New York City to work for American brokers Garben Intercapital.
Here he tells his story
I WAS standing at my desk in Tower One when there was a tremendously loud bang. The building swayed four times to the extent that I thought it was going to topple over.
We saw out of the window glass and paper falling. It was then that people started to panic.
Fortunately, a woman put her hands in the air and shouted to everyone to stop, calm down, and make their way to the stairway.
There was no panic on the stairs. At this point we didn't know what was going on. I tried to call Julie, but there wasn't a signal on my mobile.
We reached the tenth floor and the firefighters were making their way up. The lead guy told us there had been an accident, a plane had hit the tower, but to leave the building calmly.
On the eighth floor, the sprinklers had started and we were walking in three inches of water.
But, as soon as I reached the lobby, I saw all the windows shattered and dust everywhere and realised that what had happened was something a lot worse.
A fireman walked us through a hotel and bar and then told us to try to make it to the underpass.
There was a lot of debris falling around us, so I just took a deep breath and ran.
I reached the other side of the road and turned around to see both towers burning but I could not understand what had happened.
I then saw people falling and could not watch any more. The sight was horrific.
It was at this moment that my mobile phone rang, some 40 minutes after leaving my desk. It was a colleague of Julie's and finally I was able to speak to her and let her know I was out.
There was then some panic in the crowd and someone shouted to run, so I ran about 100 yards and lost all my work colleagues.
I walked around Battery Park trying to find someone I knew, but suddenly there was screaming and I looked up to see the second tower collapsing. I wasn't sure what was happening and thought it was going to fall on me.
I ran all the way to the end of the park to the Staten Island Ferry terminal, but smoke was filling the air.
Two girls were panicking next to me, but helping them to calm down helped me, although one of them said 'we are going to die. It's poisonous gas'.
Julie called me again after hearing that the tower was collapsing and had to make sure I was OK.
The smoke cleared and all I wanted to do was to get to Julie. Then the first tower went and smoke engulfed us again.
I waited for the smoke to clear and started to make my way uptown, where people were giving help and water to anyone who needed it.
I just remember how silent the city was except for the sirens, as I made my way to Julie's office. It was very emotional when we were finally reunited.
Kevin, who has since returned to work, told the Guardian: "I cannot speak highly enough of the emergency services. Their bravery and courage overwhelms me.
"I consider myself blessed and have offered prayers of thanks to have escaped this atrocity.
"All I can now think about are those still missing and my heart goes out to their families."
KEVIN'S parents Peter and Grace, who still live in Templeton Avenue, were deeply relieved to hear that their son escaped unharmed and now they hope he can rebuild his life.
Grace said: "We have been speaking to Kevin every day since these shocking events and, while he wasn't injured, he has some dreadful memories.
"Obviously, he was surrounded by some shocking sights as other colleagues, who were also trying to escape, didn't make it.
"However, I believe time is a great healer and as we have a strong religious belief I know God will be there for him."
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