At least one Bermudian is missing following yesterday's devastating attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, DC.

Aon Bermuda employee Rhondell Tankard was on a secondment in the insurance giant's New York headquarters.

Those offices, like others in the World Trade Center - New York's largest office block - were reduced to rubble after two hijacked aeroplanes suicide-crashed through their walls.

At press time last night, Ms Tankard had yet to be heard from in the aftermath of yesterday's carnage.

Her mother, Carolyn Burrows, told The Royal Gazette that her daughter had flown to New York on Saturday to begin her secondment.

Rhondell Tankard started work at Aon's World Trade Center offices - which her mother believed were on the 96th floor - on Monday and was scheduled to remain there until October 4, her mother said.

But Mrs. Burrows told The Royal Gazette her daughter's loved ones preferred to reserve comment on yesterday's tragic events until they had concrete news.

She said both Aon officials and Government are assisting the family in its quest for information but, as of last night, the family was still waiting.

While there were reports earlier yesterday that a group from Aon Bermuda was feared to have been at the building for a seminar, Aon executive vice-president Gail Fox told The Royal Gazette last night, to her knowledge, only two local employees were thought to be anywhere near the buildings when they collapsed.

Ms Fox said that she was aware Ms Tankard was still unaccounted for but that Aon Intermediaries (Bermuda) president and CEO, Joe Rego, had been safely located.

Beyond that Ms Fox said she had no information and referred further comment to Aon Bermuda executive director Alan Cossar.

Mr. Rego - who was in New York for business meetings - contacted his wife in Bermuda yesterday morning to let his family know he was safe.

Last night his wife, Gail, told The Royal Gazette her husband called just after 11.30 a.m. yesterday morning to her "great relief".

She said her husband was across the street from the World Trade Center towers at a conference centre when the buildings were unexpectedly targeted yesterday morning.

Mr. Rego is very shaken, she said, "and he probably will be for some time".

As the city of New York - and the American nation in general - tried to make sense of the day's tragic events, details were slow to emerge in terms of numbers dead and injured.

Aon's global headquarters were located on one of the top floors of the North Tower - the second tower hit by the hijacked planes yesterday morning.

Both towers - where over 50,000 people were employed - collapsed shortly after two planes blazed gaping, fiery holes in the sides just after 9 a.m. leaving untold numbers of casualties.

Eyewitness reports said that people were seen leaping from windows as high as the 80th floor of the Manhattan office towers before they collapsed.

Contacted earlier yesterday afternoon, Aon Bermuda's executive director Alan Cossar, was shaken and devastated by yesterday's tragic events and declined to comment on the situation with regard to Aon employees.

"Aon Risk Services had a significant office in New York with which our Bermuda offices conducted business and our staff interacted and built many business relationships and friendships," he said.

"The management and staff in Bermuda are clearly devastated by the day's events and we are not in a position to make any comment at the moment."