At least two people died and 157 others were injured in the West Bank Sunday after a bleacher collapsed during a prayer service at a Jewish synagogue.
The building was under construction was still being used for the Shavout service in Givat Zeev near Jerusalem when the incident occurred, officials said. Police said the ultra-Orthodox synagogue had 650 people in attendance.
A 12-year-old boy and a man in his 50's were the only reported casualties, a spokesperson for Israel's national medical emergency service told euronews.
Dozens hurt in bleacher collapse at Israeli synagoguepic.twitter.com/a8Xxm0yssB
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 16, 2021
The Israeli military said in a statement that it had deployed medics and other search-and-rescue troops to offer assistance. Injured residents were airlifted by Army helicopters.
The medical emergency service said medics "provided care to about 60 injured, including about 10 in critical and severe condition."
The synagogue's owner's did not have the proper permits to hold the holiday service, the head of the Israel Fire and Rescue service, Deddi Simhi, told Israel’s Channel 12.
This building is not finished. It doesn’t even have a permit for occupancy and therefore let alone holding events in it.
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The mayor of the town was highly critical of police, alleging that they ignored previous concerns about the building being used before it was finished. Doron Turgeman, Jerusalem police chief, told local reporters that the tragedy was a result of “negligence’’ and that arrests are expected soon.
We were called again to another event where there was negligence and a lack of responsibility. There will be arrests.
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