A building damaged by the war in Gaza collapsed: 21 people died
Displaced families in need of shelter had been living in the building.
At least 21 people, including eight children, were killed when a six-story building damaged during the war in the Gaza sector collapsed. Another 45 victims were taken to hospitals.
The incident occurred early Wednesday morning in the Tal al-Hawa area of Gaza City. Witnesses told the BBC that the building had been dangerously leaning to one side after an Israeli strike more than a year earlier. Nevertheless, displaced families in need of shelter continued to live in the building.
UN and Egyptian teams also joined the rescue efforts. However, due to a lack of necessary equipment, Hamas-controlled Civil Defense workers were initially forced to search for people under the rubble with their hands.
According to witnesses, stones had been regularly falling from the building before it collapsed, and its lean to one side was visible. Rescue operations under the rubble were completed on Wednesday afternoon.
Satellite imagery shows that the area where the building was located was subjected to attacks during the first weeks of the war. Serious damage to the building itself was first recorded in 2024.
