A piece of landing gear believed to be from one of the planes destroyed in the September 11 attacks has been discovered wedged between two New York City buildings, police say.

New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said the part includes a clearly visible Boeing identification number.

Mr Browne added the piece of equipment was discovered on Wednesday by surveyors inspecting a lower Manhattan building on behalf of the building's owner.

He said the inspectors called 911 and police have secured the scene, documenting it with photos.

Police added the medical examiner's office will complete a health and safety evaluation to determine whether to sift the soil around the buildings for possible human remains.

Two hijacked planes slammed into the nearby World Trade Center towers in 2001, destroying them and killing thousands of people.

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