A recent New York Daily News article reported that three retired FDNY members who had been diagnosed with illnesses related to their service on 9/11 passed away within the same 48 hour period.

The number of people who have succumbed due to inhaling or being otherwise exposed to toxins at ground zero continues to rise, and those victims submitting claims to the 9/11 cancer fund has also put those financial resources under pressure. The three who recently passed away had all been diagnosed with 9/11 related cancers.

Unfortunately, the September 11 victims fund reportedly does not have enough money set aside for the growing number of claims. Since many people did not know about their medical conditions until many years after 9/11, it was hard for legislators to guess what amount of money would help to compensate those who developed medical issues like cancer because of exposure to toxic dust.

The cleanup and recovery effort involved many people who continued to live and work in the area, in addition to first responders who helped remove debris and search for survivors. However, those workers could have spent days or even weeks breathing in the dust from the explosions and crashed towers. Over time, that dust could have turned into cancer.

Since September 2018, 101 survivors who lived and worked near ground zero responded to the terrorist attacks passed away due to illnesses. At the current rate, the number of 9/11 deaths related to illnesses contracted from being in that area will exceed 163 by September 2019.

This would make it the highest annual yearly death toll since the terrorist attacks occurred. The establishment of the 9/11 cancer fund was important for enabling victims who had been diagnosed with serious medical conditions to recover potential compensation.

However, NPR reports that the 9/11 fund received so many claims that the compensation fund announced in February they would have to cut payouts by as much as 70 percent.

The fund was originally opened in 2011 and compensates first responders and others for illnesses and deaths related to toxic exposure near the sites of the September 11th attacks. Over 21,000 claimants had received payments for over $5 billion, but compensation fund representatives shared that they still had an additional 19,000 unpaid claims as of the beginning of 2019.

Since December 2015, the number of 9/11 cancer claims and claims filed on behalf of loved ones who passed away because of 9/11 illnesses have increased significantly. This has put financial pressure on the fund.

In total, 58 different cancers received coverage from the 9/11 cancer fund associated with the aftermath of the September 11th attacks. Many of the cancers that people have been diagnosed with as a result of serving in or near the area could have the potential to claim the victim’s life. Most of these cancers take a long period of time to develop which can put victims who did not file their claims until recently at risk of not being able to recover adequate compensation for their injuries.