At least 25 dead in Jerusalem reception hall collapse
( 2001-05-25 10:55 ) (7 )

At least 25 people died when the roof of a reception hall collapsed in west Jerusalem late Thursday during a wedding party, army officials said Friday quoted by public television.

Fifteen people were pulled out dead from the rubble or died during their evacuation. At least 10 others have been diagnosed as dead, but could not yet be extracted from the debris by the rescue workers, who were forced to work by hand from fear that heavy machinery would provoke the collapse of another part of the building, television added.

Interior Minister Eli Yishai told television that more than 300 people had been injured in the accident, which he described as "one of the worst civil disasters in the history of the country." An inquiry commission had been set up, he said.

The collapse was due to an "engineering failure," Israeli police intelligence chief David Tzuri told AFP.

"It's an engineering failure. No doubt about it. It's not sabotage or terrorist activity," Tzuri declared after the disaster in the Talpiot neighbourhood. Jerusalem police chief Micky Levy said several children were among the dead.

The head of Magen David Adom, the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross, Avi Zohar, said 280 injured had been evacuated but that people were still trapped under the rubble.

Levy said it could take up to three days to rescue all the people trapped under the debris.

Health Minister Nissim Dahan said dozens of people were still buried. According to channel two television, some 100 people could still be trapped.

Rescue teams and ambulances from all over the country were called to the scene, while hospitals issued urgent appeals for blood.

Rescuers could be seen trying to pull people from the wreckage using ropes.

Tzuri said rescuers had to dig at the rubble with their bare hands. They could not use heavy equipment as the building might collapse completely at any moment.

"We have no idea of how many are still buried," Tzuri said, comparing the catastrophe to an earthquake.

He said some of those trapped had used mobile phones to tell relatives they were still alive.

Public television said that two wedding receptions, grouping some 1,000 people, were under way when the accident happened.

"The floor of a hall on the third floor suddenly gave way as the guests were dancing" a witness told television.

One of the brides was injured by the collapse, the television said.

An AFP photographer said the interior of the three-storey Versailles reception building appeared to have collapsed, and the area was sealed off.

Channel two said the owner of the building who had carried out enlargement work had been arrested. He was not identified.