2 killed, dozens injured in building collapse in Tel Aviv

Two people were killed and dozens of others injured or missing after a four-story parking structure in Tel Aviv collapsed on Monday, Israeli authorities said.

The underground structure, located in the neighborhood of Ramat Hachayal in northern Tel Aviv, was still under construction, police said.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri confirmed the deaths. She said that one victim, identified as a 35-year-old construction worker, was found dead under the debris.

She said that about five more people are feared to be trapped.

According to Eli Bin, director of MDA rescue service, about 20 people, mostly construction workers, were injured. One of them sustained serious injuries to his head, Bin said.

A military spokesperson said that the army sent "search and rescue forces to assist in the rescue and extraction of civilians from the building."

Television broadcasts showed that the roof of the structure had caved in, and that hundreds of emergency crew were working at the site.

Ramat Hachayal is a business quarter in which many offices of Israel's booming high-tech industry are located.

Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the collapse, suspecting negligence.

Source : XINHUA