Scaffolding Collapses in Givat Ze’ev; Two Dead and Four Injured

Two peopled were killed and four others were injured in a construction accident in the town of Givat Ze’ev, northwest of Yerushalayim, on Monday afternoon.

The incident occurred when nine floors of scaffolding at a construction site on HaRakefet Street collapsed.

Six workers were trapped in the debris of the scaffolding, and suffered injuries.

First responders from MDA and United Hatzalah were dispatched to treat the injured.

One of the workers pulled from the debris was declared dead at the scene. The others were treated by emergency medical teams before being evacuated to the hospital. One succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

United Hatzalah volunteer EMTs Yossi Guthold and Avi Yudakowsky, who were among the first responders at the scene, said, “Large pieces of scaffolding collapsed at a construction site. We treated five people who sustained varying degrees of injuries as a result of the collapse and our ambulance team transported one of them to the hospital. Firefighters pulled one person from the wreckage who was already dead and there was nothing for us to do to treat him.”

Volunteer Paramedic Neria Nissim, who also responded to the scaffolding collapse, added, “In addition to those we managed to treat so far, there is one other person who is still trapped and unconscious. Due to the nature of the incident, United Hatzalah’s Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit were dispatched to the scene and treated eyewitnesses who were suffering from emotional and psychological distress.”