Suspect in Rechov Haneviim Fire a Former Employee

A man at the scene where a fire broke out in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood in Yerushalayim on Tuesday night, leaving an elderly woman and a man severely wounded. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Police early Friday arrested a suspect they believe was involved in setting a fire in an apartment building in Yerushalayim that injured eight people. The building is located on Rechov Hanev’im in central Yerushalayim, near the former Bikur Cholim Hospital. The building functions as a vacation apartment for visitors to the city.

Among those injured were two adults and two children, members of the same family. There were also numerous individuals suffering from shock and smoke inhalation, Magen David Adom rescue workers said. The condition of at least one of the victims was serious, officials said.

Five firefighting crews battled to put the fire out, and assisted residents of the building to evacuate. They also spent several hours examining the building to ensure that the fire would not flare up again.

Police have opened an investigation into the incident. Initial assessments indicate that arson may have been involved, and one suspect was arrested early Friday. He is being questioned over his role in the incident. Workers at the building told Channel Ten that the suspect is a worker who was recently let go, and had threatened revenge over his firing.

On Tuesday night, another major fire broke out in Yerushalayim. Three people were rescued from a building on Rechov Beit Yisrael, after a blaze broke out. Two of them, an 82- year-old woman and her 30-year-old son, were seriously injured in the blaze. A 68-year-old woman was lightly injured. Investigators have not yet determined the cause of that fire.

 

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