Three Dead After Building Explodes, Collapses in South Tel Aviv

Local Editor

Three people were killed on Monday after an apparent fire and building collapse near Yaffa in southern Tel Aviv, with police saying that the cause of the incident was under investigation.

At around 23:10 local time a massive explosion shook buildings in the southern Tel Aviv area, followed by the wail of sirens.

News outlet images showed what appeared to be the remains of a building on "Yefet" Street in the city.

Two men were pronounced dead at the scene, while a third died later of his injuries, police said. Four others were lightly wounded.

A police spokeswoman said the three men killed had provisionally been identified as a Yaffa resident, a man from the town of Taibe and a Palestinian from the occupied West Bank.

According to witnesses at the scene, a fire appeared to have caused a building to collapse.

Local television reported that screams could be heard from within the collapsed building, which was reported to have been a building supplies store.

An image published by "Hadashot" news showed an upturned car covered in dust on a nearby street.

Debris from the explosion was strewn onto nearby streets.

According to preliminary estimates, the incident was caused by flammable materials stored in the paint shop housed in the building.

Police were still investigating whether the incident was accidental or deliberate.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team