Former Miss South Africa recounts surreal 9/11 experience

Former Miss South Africa Kerishnie Naiker has opened up about her “surreal” experience of the September 11, or 9/11 attacks, that occurred just days before a scheduled trip to New York.

Friday marked the 25th anniversary of the tragedy that took place in 2001, where a series of coordinated terrorist attacks saw two hijacked planes fly into the World Trade Centre’s twin towers, a third into the Pentagon, and a fourth in Pennsylvania.

Almost 3 000 people lost their lives.

KERISHNIE NAIKER RECALLS 9/11 EXPERIENCE

In a social media post, Kerishnie Naiker shared how the 9/11 attacks hit home for her.

At the time, the brunette beauty – who won Miss South Africa in 1997 – had attended a United Nations World Conference in Durban alongside American pals.

The friends were due to return to the US – on 11 September-  with Kerishnie joining them a few days later. However, their plans were cut short as two terrorist-hijacked planes had flown into the World Trade Centre.

She shared: “While my friends were due to fly to New York on 11 September 2001, I decided to spend a few days in Durban with my mother before joining them in New York. Of course, this was not meant to be.

She continued: “We were at the airport in Durban watching the tragedy on television while all flights to America were cancelled. It was surreal.

“I could never adequately capture in words what we felt and the petrifying thoughts expressed by my friends about their family members in New York.

“Thousands of lives and families changed forever on this day 25 years ago. Let’s honour all who transitioned and the many heroes who faced danger to save others. This day will always carry immense weight”.

SOUTH AFRICANS WHO DIED IN THE TRAGEDY

Two South Africans died during the 9/11 attacks in New York City, where the World Trade Centre’s Twin Towers were struck down by terrorists who had hijacked two planes.

The first was Nicholas Rowe, a software engineer who was attending a seminar in the World Trade Centre’s North Tower. He died as the tower collapsed.

The second was Craig Gibson, a reinsurance boker, who also worked in the North Tower, and whose office was in the direct impact zone when the first plane hit.

Both men’s names are permanently inscribed at the National September 11 Memorial in New York, at the footprints of the Twin Towers. Their names appear alongside those of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks.