Gaza building collapse kills 21 as rescuers complete search
Rescuers recovered 21 bodies and saved 45 people after a bomb-damaged building collapsed in Gaza, officials said.
Gaza, Palestine. Rescue teams completed searches on Thursday at a bomb-damaged building that collapsed a day earlier, killing 21 people and leaving 45 others rescued from beneath the rubble, a Palestinian official said.
Nearly a year after a ceasefire ended major fighting in Gaza, reconstruction has yet to begin in the devastated territory.
Survivors face lack of shelter
Most buildings in Gaza were completely destroyed by Israeli airstrikes or bulldozed by Israeli forces, while nearly all remaining buildings have sustained damage.
More than 2 million people are confined to a third of the enclave’s territory, mainly living in makeshift tents or overcrowded rooms in damaged buildings.
Bulldozers cleared rubble at the collapse site on Thursday to prepare land for tents for survivors. More than 110 people had been living in the building, while residents searched through the debris for belongings, including food.
Children among those killed
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defence Service in Gaza, told Reuters that eight children were among those killed and that around half of those injured were also children.
“We don’t have the needed equipment. Despite that, rescue teams did a heroic job and rescued 45 people from under the rubble and moved them to hospitals for treatment,” Basal told Reuters by phone from Gaza.
Nader El-Ejlah, a survivor who said several relatives were killed, said his family had moved into the damaged building because they could not find other shelter.
“We were in shock from the scene we witnessed. Imagine seeing your family members under the rubble – some of them (torn to) pieces, others killed,” he said.
El-Ejlah said several buildings in Gaza remained at risk of collapse and warned that further incidents could occur without new shelter for displaced residents.
Dispute over reconstruction equipment
Palestinian and UN officials blame Israeli restrictions on Gaza for the lack of heavy machinery needed to clear rubble and rebuild homes.
Israel says its restrictions are intended to prevent equipment from reaching militants.
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