The Fire Department of New York says three retired firefighters who worked at ground zero have died on the same day from 9/11-related illnesses.
Lt. Howard Bischoff and firefighters Robert Leaver and Daniel Heglund died Monday.
Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro says their deaths are "a painful reminder that 13 years later we continue to pay a terrible price for the department's heroic efforts."
The three worked at ground zero after the World Trade Center attacks. One had leukemia, one had esophageal cancer and a third had colon cancer.
The Uniformed Fire Officers Association planned a news conference Thursday.
It says first responders showed health problems soon after the attacks, with 99 percent of exposed firefighters reporting at least one new respiratory illness.
The FDNY lost 343 firefighters on 9/11.
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