9/11: World comes together to pause and reflect on terror attacks

NEW YORK: From Tokyo to Sydney, the world came toegther with the US to mourn the loss of nearly 3,000 people, who lost their lives exactly 10 years ago in the most fearful terror attack that changed the way we live.

Formal ceremonies are planned or are already under way in many countries to remember the souls of those killed when hijacked twin plane's rammed into the iconic World Trade Centre here, bringing the skyscrapers down like a pack of cards.

Even though 10 years have passed since the tragic attack, the pain and the suffereing still exists.

Indian origin surgeon John Mathai, who lost his younger brother Joseph, says 10 years may seem a long time to many but for him the years have not dulled the pain of the "unfortunate" event.

"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.

New Jersey resident Arjan Mirpuri's 30-year-old son Rajesh was among victims.

"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 said.

And it is not that the threat of a terror attack has decreased since then. Even as the world pause to reflect on the tragedy that killed 2,977 people from more than 90 countries, the city and Washington is under intense security gaze over yet another possible al-Qaeda attack.