At least two people died and approximately 167 were injured after the collapse of a bleacher area during a Sunday service at a synagogue in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank.
The seating area fell in an apparent accident while hundreds were praying in Givat Ze’ev, Israeli emergency services reported. At least five people were in serious condition after the structure collapsed, and a firefighter at the scene told Channel 13 News that worshippers appeared to be stuck under the bleachers. One of the victims of the accident was a 40-year-old man and the other a 12-year-old child, emergency services added, according to a report by NBC News.
The mayor of Givat Ze’ev said the building was unfinished and dangerous, adding that authorities had ignored previous urges to take action about the unstable structure, and Jerusalem police chief Doron Turgeman said the disaster was a case of “negligence” and that there would likely be arrests, the report added.
DOZENS INJURED IN STAMPEDE AT BIG ISRAELI RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL
Sunday evening was the beginning of Shavuot, a Jewish festival that happens seven weeks after Passover to commemorate the giving of the Torah.
Givat Ze’ev was established in 1977 and is located approximately 10 miles north of Jerusalem in the West Bank.
The structure collapse comes just over two weeks after 45 people were killed in a stampede at a religious festival at Israel’s Mount Meron, where attendees had convened to celebrate the Lag B’Omer holiday.
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The region is experiencing increased volatility due to a dispute between Israel and Hamas militants after the former announced evacuations in east Jerusalem, which Palestine views as its capital. At least 145 Palestinians, including 41 children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Monday. Approximately 950 others have been wounded and at least 13 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, according to al Jazeera. On Sunday, an Israeli air strike in Gaza destroyed several homes and killed at least 42 Palestinians, including 10 children.
The Washington Examiner contacted Israeli emergency services but did not immediately receive a response.
