Sept. 9: Construction crews work at site of the World Trade Center, as New York City prepares for the 9th anniversary of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks. (AP)
NEW YORK – At least 65 police officers who attended Ground Zero have died of cancer since 9/11, statistics showed.
The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (PBA) released the figure at a Sunday briefing featuring ailing cops who worked at Ground Zero. The announcement will turn up pressure on New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg to release cancer data to the federal government for expanded medical coverage, PBA officials said.
A decision will come in March whether to include cancer in a list of ailments caused by 9/11 and covered by the Zadroga Act -- named after an NYPD officer whose death was attributed to toxic chemicals at Ground Zero.
The New York Post first reported on the PBA's data last week, citing 59 cases -- and further analysis revealed that the number of those stricken by cancer has grown, officials said.
Click here to read more on this story from The New York Post.
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