The Argentinian survivors of the New York terror attack have been greeted with emotional scenes after returning home.
Juan Pablo Trevisan and Ariel Benvenuto have landed back in Argentina as they prepare to console the relatives of their five friends who died in the incident.
The pair, along with Guillermo Banchini, Ivan Brajkovic and Martin Marro, were the only survivors of their group of ten friends.
The Argentinian survivors of the New York terror attack have been greeted with emotional scenes after returning home
Juan Pablo Trevisan (left) and Ariel Benvenuto (right) have landed back in Argentina as they prepare to console the relatives of their five friends who died in the incident
The pair, along with Guillermo Banchini, Ivan Brajkovic and Martin Marro, were the only survivors of their group of ten friends
Survivors of the attack Guillermo Banchini, center, hugs Ivan Brajkovic, left, next to Juan Pablo Trevisan, right, during a press conference on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, in New York
Five of them died after an Uzbek citizen steered a rented truck onto a bike path Tuesday and sped south toward the World Trade Center
They flew out together to New York last week to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their high school graduation.
Five of them died after an Uzbek citizen steered a rented truck onto a bike path Tuesday and sped south toward the World Trade Center, striking cyclists and pedestrians, killing eight.
He was shot by a police officer after crashing the truck into a school bus.
Sayfullo Saipov, 29, survived. He was arraigned Wednesday on terrorism charges.
The Argentinian group bore the brunt of the fatalities. Their story of longtime friendship captivated many people, with media worldwide publishing a photo of most of them at the airport in Rosario, Argentina, looking giddy shortly before boarding their flight to the U.S.
Their story of longtime friendship captivated many people, with media worldwide publishing a photo of most of them at the airport in Rosario, Argentina (Pictured: Alejandro Pagnucci and Diego Angelini)
The trip participants who died were Hernan Ferrucchi, Alejandro Damian Pagnucco, Hernan Diego Mendoza, Ariel Erlij and Diego Enrique Angelini.
Sayfullo Saipov, 29, is suspected of killing eight people on Halloween
Another one, Martin Marro, who lives near Boston, was seriously injured although he is expected to make a full recovery.
The four survivors hugged after Banchini read the statement, and applause erupted in the room. Deputy Consul General Eduardo Almirantearena had tears in his eyes.
‘What has the world become? How could someone think, plan and execute a plan like this? We can’t get our heads around it,’ Banchini said.
He called for love ‘ruling over hate and life prevailing over death.’
‘We have to return home now. We have to accompany the inconsolable families of our friends,’ he said. ‘Let us go with our pain to our homes.’
A woman holds an Argentinian flag as people walk holding lit candles along the Hudson River near the crime scene to remember the victims of the recent truck attack
People gather to remember the victims of the recent truck attack during a candle light walk along Hudson River coast near the crime scene on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017
People walk carrying lit candles along Hudson River during a vigil and memorial march near the crime scene to remember the victims of the recent truck attack on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017,