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American Morning

America Recovers: World Trade Center Victim Tells His Story

Aired October 02, 2001 - 11:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now, Three weeks to the day since terror hit this town, again reminders of the grim reality that so many people face moving forward. Earlier today, a 27-year-old man by the name of Manu, Dhingra, critically burned back on September 11th was released from New York's Cornell Medical Center. He has been there for the past three weeks, and today he described not only what his job was inside the World Trade Center, but, more importantly, he described how he got out that day. his words a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU DHINGRA: Andover Brokerage, that was our new office on the 83rd floor of the first tower. I was very excited about it. We just moved there about a month ago, and you know, it was the most beautiful view of the city. I was very excited to be there. I loved my job. I just -- this is how it turned out. That's all I can tell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you remember what happened to you now?

DHINGRA: I remember, it's about a quarter to 9, I'm just getting out of the elevator. I was a little late to work, so maybe if I was on time things would have been different, but I don't know. You know, you think about these things later on. I turned the corner from the elevator, and suddenly, I just heard an explosion and I was just covered in a ball of fire. I could only imagine that it came from the elevator shafts or something. At that time I just -- I mean, I still remember that in that ball, I was just thinking to myself, please just God make it quick. Make it painless.

Actually, it was very painful, but just make it quick. I thought it was over, but luckily it didn't last long. And I was still standing. I had some adrenaline, so I just ran into the office a couple doors down. By that time, everybody had heard what happened. And I was -- I thought it was a bomb to begin with. And suddenly everybody started evacuating the building. They were like, Manu, you have to try to help yourself. We will help you, but no one will come up to the 83rd floor to get you down. So, I don't know who was with me at that time, but I got some kind of energy from somewhere. And I just got up and I started walking down the stairs. And that's how I

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: "God, make it quick", he said. Manu Dhingra, alive today, 83rd floor of the World Trade Center. Critically burned. You couldn't see his burns, but his arms are heavily bandaged even to this point. And this point going forward, released though today from New York's Cornell Medical Center here in Manhattan.

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