A terrible tragedy occurred in the northern Gaza Strip close to midnight on Wednesday when a crane collapsed due to powerful winds amid a winter storm and fell onto a tent housing IDF soldiers, killing two soldiers and injuring eight.

The accident took place in an IDF outpost in the new Gaza buffer zone. According to the Israel  Meteorological Service, winds in the area were blowing at about 60 kilometers per hour at the time of the collapse.

The soldiers were later identified as Sgt. First Class Nachman Refael Ben Ami, 20, H’Yd, from Eilat, and Sgt. First Class (res.) Nadav Cohen, H’yd, 21, from Beit Chanan, a moshav in central Israel. Both soldiers served in the 51st Battalion in the Golani Brigade.

Another soldier was seriously injured and seven were lightly to moderately injured.

An investigation was launched into the incident and meanwhile, the IDF has halted the operation of all cranes in the Gaza border area and at posts in the Netzarim and Philadelphi corridors inside Gaza.

An initial investigation revealed that the collapse was caused by a sudden and especially powerful gust of wind.

Military police are expected to be involved in the investigation, which will focus on whether the soldiers were properly prepared for the storm and powerful winds, such as being instructed to secure the crane or lower it.

The crane that collapsed was a lifting platform with a hydraulic arm, a tool that the IDF has used since the start of the war in Gaza to install observation equipment such as cameras and radars at elevated positions at temporary outposts.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)