New York City Unveils Cover-up over Toxic Cloud | DW News

Sep 9, 2026 | More than 170,000 pages of long-hidden records show New York City officials knew the air quality around Ground Zero was toxic following the 9/11 terror attack in 2001 but publicly maintained it was safe to breathe. Mayor Zohran Mamdani accuses former city officials of a cover-up to limit liability. 25 years on, more people have died from the highly dangerous dust than were killed in the attack itself. DW's Ben Fajzullin speaks to two advocates for victims, both of whom had integral roles in forcing the city to release the contentious documents.