Terror attacks hit U.S.

September 11, 2001 Posted: 1457 GMT

Flames and smoke erupt from the World Trade Center after a second plane crashes into the New York City landmark.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Terrorists struck the United States Tuesday morning in harrowing, widespread attacks that included at least three commercial jet crashes into significant buildings.

• In the first attack, a plane smashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan shortly before 9 a.m., followed by another plane into the second tower about 20 minutes later. Both towers later collapsed. Sources told CNN that one of the planes was an American Airlines Boeing 767 that had been hijacked after take-off from Boston.

• About an hour later, a plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, part of which later collapsed.

• Sources say a second plane was heading toward the Pentagon; F-16 jets were in the air monitoring it.

•  The Pentagon, the White House, the State Department, the Justice Department, the Capitol, the CIA and all other government buildings in Washington evacuated.

• In the first ever national ground stop of aircraft, all flights nationwide have been stopped at their departure airports.

• All international flights were diverted to Canada.

• Israel has evacuated all its missions around the world.

• President Bush cancelled an appearance in Florida to return to Washington, calling the crashes "apparent terrorist attacks" and "a national tragedy."

• In Chicago, the Sears Tower was evacuated; United Nations in New York evacuated.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta was evacuated.

• The New York Port Authority said it had closed all bridges and tunnels into the city.

• New York's Bellevue Hospital was designated command central for handling the catastrophe. Several hospitals have already reported receiving victims with burns and head injuries.

• Large plane crashed 80 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but it was unknown if this crash was connected to terrorist attacks.

• U.S. stock markets were closed after the New York attacks.