Disco legend Donna Summer died on Thursday of cancer &mdash; feared to be triggered by toxic dust from the 9/11 attacks. The 63-year-old singer was in New York when al-Qaeda destroyed the Twin Towers in 2001. Donna died in Florida aged 63 after a long battle with lung cancer. She had been in her nearby apartment when the deadly cloud containing asbestos, lead and mercury filled the sky after the al-Qaeda jet hijack atrocity in 2001. <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2012/may/Donna-1.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 603px; " /> Donna Summers fought a secret battle with lung cancer that she believed was brought on by inhaling the asbestos dust during the 9/11 attacks And she is thought to have believed that breathing it triggered her cancer. Speaking of her trauma, Donna once said, &ldquo;I was really freaked out by the horrific experiences of that day. I couldn&rsquo;t go out, I didn&rsquo;t want to talk to anybody. I had to keep the blinds down and stay in my bedroom. I went to church and light came back into my soul. That heaviness was gone.&rdquo; Premonitions Donna also had a premonition fanatics would target New York a month before it happened. She recalled in 2008, &ldquo;My husband and I were walking down the street. I had this feeling. I said, &lsquo;Honey, I feel like terrorism, high on top of the buildings&rsquo;.&rdquo; The attacks killed around 3,000 people on the day. But the toxic legacy of 9/11 is still claiming lives more than ten years later. It is believed that around 1,000 people exposed to the dust have died &mdash; 350 of them from cancer. Dr John Howard, the 9/11 Federal Health Director, said: &ldquo;I think it is plausible that many people will die of the many conditions we&rsquo;ve seen due to their exposure.&rdquo; Tributes pour in Yesterday, tributes poured in for the Queen of Disco credited with defining the dance music era of the 1970s. Her family said in a statement: &ldquo;We lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith. <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2012/may/Donna.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 382px; " /> Tributes pour in for the legendary singer While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy. Words truly can&rsquo;t express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time.&rdquo; Among those paying tribute were US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle. The president released a statement saying,&ldquo;Michelle and I were saddened to hear about the passing of Donna Summer. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Donna truly was the &lsquo;Queen of Disco.&rsquo; Her voice was unforgettable, and the music industry has lost a legend far too soon. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Donna&rsquo;s family and her dedicated fans.&rdquo; Legendary producer Quincy Jones tweeted: &ldquo;Rest in Peace dear Donna Summer. Your voice was the heartbeat and soundtrack of a decade.&rdquo; Singer Rihanna wrote: &ldquo;RIP Donna Summer, Queen of Disco.&rdquo;u00a0

Donna Summer died of lung cancer, an illness she believes she contracted from inhaling toxic particles released during the 9/11 attacks

Disco queen killed by Twin Tower dust

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Disco queen killed by Twin Tower dust

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