At least 21 Palestinians died when a war-damaged residential building collapsed in Gaza City early on September 16, according to local officials cited by Associated Press and The New Arab. Children were among the dead. Rescuers searched the wreckage for survivors as families awaited news of missing relatives.
The Al-Saada building housed displaced people whose own homes were damaged or destroyed, The New Arab reported. Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said the structure had developed cracks after damage during the war. Its collapse also hit nearby tents used by displaced families, the outlet reported.
Rescue crews and residents struggled to reach people beneath heavy concrete, with some digging by hand, according to AP and Reuters. Basal told The New Arab that shortages of excavators and other heavy equipment were obstructing the search. He appealed for machinery to help crews reach anyone still alive.
The disaster exposed the danger facing people who lack safe alternative housing. Reuters reported that at least 10 families lived in the building, citing Gaza City civil defence director Raed Al-Dahshan. He said rescuers still hoped to find survivors. The casualty count remained provisional as searches continued.
Access to equipment remains disputed. Basal accused Israel of preventing heavy machinery from entering Gaza. Asked about equipment for the rescue, COGAT, the Israeli military body coordinating aid, told AP that government policy permits heavy machinery to enter. AP reported that only a handful of excavators had been allowed in.
Basal also warned of further collapses unless occupied, damaged buildings receive engineering assessments and urgent repairs or removal of unsafe sections, The New Arab reported. He urged ceasefire guarantors to facilitate rescue equipment. The immediate priority remained reaching people in the rubble while other displaced families continued living in weakened structures.
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