“I saw the tower was about to collapse. I took one photo. Then someone shouted, ‘Run!’” In shock, covered in dust, and bleeding, she captured some of the most memorable 9/11 photos
Gulnara Samoilova was an Associated Press photo editor living just four blocks from the World Trade Center on 9/11. This is her story
Photographer Gulnara Samoilova captured one of the most iconic images of September 11, 2001, as the South Tower of the World Trade Center crumbled. A World Press Photo Award winner and Pulitzer finalist, Samoilova was a photo editor for the Associated Press and lived just four blocks from the site. Upon hearing sirens, she hastily grabbed her Canon T90 and began shooting.
As the first tower fell, Samoilova snapped a photo of the tower in the process of collapse before someone urgently shouted, "Run!" Covered in dust and bleeding from a scraped elbow, Samoilova managed to take a final shot before losing consciousness. Her image, which won a World Press Photo award, went on to inspire survivors and families, helping them heal by providing a visual record of those who saved them.
Written by urgent.news from Digital Camera World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
