A building damaged in the war collapsed in Gaza: 20 people killed (video)

A war-damaged building collapsed in Gaza: 20 people killed (video)

On the night of September 16, a 6-story residential building damaged by the war collapsed in Gaza City. As a result, at least 20 Palestinians were killed, including women and five children. Another 14 people were injured.

According to preliminary data, hundreds of people may still be trapped under the rubble of the building. Videos verified by Al Jazeera show rescuers and local residents digging children out from under the rubble with their hands.

It is reported that the voices of children crying for help were heard from under the rubble. In one of the video clips, a young girl was pulled out alive and immediately taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said rescue operations are still ongoing. Rescuing people is proving difficult due to a lack of specialized equipment.

According to local media, this building had previously cracked and become unusable due to Israeli bombardment. Thousands of buildings in the area have been destroyed because of the Israeli war. However, Tel Aviv has restricted the entry of construction materials needed for repairs and heavy equipment for rescuers.

For this reason, rescuers are forced to dig people out mostly by hand. Residents, meanwhile, are forced to live in dangerous buildings because they have nowhere else to go and no tents. According to Reuters, tens of thousands of Palestinians live in about 2,000 buildings across Gaza that have been damaged by Israeli airstrikes.

"This is not the first building collapse. Unfortunately, we fear it will not be the last," said Gaza City Mayor Yahya Al-Sarraj.