This article is from: srnnews.com
One Dead, 3 Injured After Balcony Falls in Central Jerusalem
By The Media Line Staff
A man approximately 80 years old was killed and three other people were lightly injured Monday when a balcony collapsed onto a business in Jerusalem’s Rehavia neighborhood, prompting a large rescue operation and the closure of surrounding streets.
Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency teams were called to Keren Kayemet LeIsrael Street at about 5:25 p.m. following reports that part of a building had collapsed and that people might be trapped beneath the debris.
After rescue crews reached the trapped man, MDA emergency medical technicians and paramedics found him with no signs of life and suffering from multi-system trauma. They pronounced him dead at the scene.
Additional MDA teams treated three people for minor injuries and evacuated them to Hadassah Ein Kerem and Shaare Zedek hospitals. The injured were an approximately 80-year-old woman and two 16-year-olds, a boy and a girl, who sustained minor abrasions.
Firefighters and specialized rescue units removed debris and searched the affected structure to ensure that no additional people were trapped. Engineers and emergency personnel also examined the remaining parts of the building because of concerns that more material could fall.
Police sealed off the immediate area, restricted access to nearby streets and asked members of the public to remain away so rescue vehicles and crews could operate safely.
Initial reports referred broadly to a partial building collapse. Emergency authorities later said a balcony had fallen onto a commercial property below. Early estimates that several people might remain trapped were revised as rescue teams gained access to the rubble.
Authorities had not announced the cause of the collapse by Monday evening. Investigators were expected to examine whether deterioration, renovation work, overloading or another structural problem contributed to the incident.
Rehavia is a central Jerusalem neighborhood containing older residential buildings, shops, offices and public institutions. The collapse disrupted traffic along Keren Kayemet LeIsrael Street and nearby roads while emergency crews maintained a safety perimeter.
Police and municipal officials were expected to continue investigating the building’s condition and determine whether any section must remain closed or be evacuated.
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