Civil Defence workers attempt to rescue people trapped beneath the rubble of a residential building that had been damaged in an earlier Israeli strike during the war and collapsed on Wednesday, in Gaza City.
At least 10 Palestinians, including children, were killed after a six-storey apartment building collapsed in western Gaza City overnight, with dozens more feared trapped under the rubble, local authorities and witnesses said on Wednesday. Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal said the bodies of eight people, including children, had initially been recovered along with 15 injured people. Basal said more than 60 people were missing. Al Jazeera, citing Gaza’s Civil Defence, later reported that at least 12 people had died, including five children, while local witnesses and journalists said six families were trapped beneath the collapsed building.
Gaza’s Civil Defence said rescue teams were searching for survivors and recovering bodies from the wreckage. “The bodies of eight martyrs, including children and 15 injured individuals have been recovered from the rubble,” Basal said. Witnesses said cries for help could be heard from beneath the concrete as rescuers tried to reach those trapped.
The building, located in the Tal al-Hawa area, was housing families displaced by the war with Israel when it collapsed onto nearby residential structures and tents. Rescue teams worked through the rubble alongside residents, with footage verified by Al Jazeera showing children being pulled from the wreckage. In one video, a young girl was rescued alive. Other survivors, including children, were seen emerging from the debris before being taken away by ambulances.