[VIDEO & PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
A fire broke out in a Beit Shemesh apartment early Thursday morning, 7 Kislev, at 20 Chazon Ish Street. Persons were trapped inside and B’chasdei Hashem, the fire department and police succeeded in getting everyone out of the residential structure.
The call was for the fire was received at 5:50AM, for a fire in the four-story structure. Magen David Adom and United Hatzalah paramedics and EMTs responded along with the fire department.
The victims were transported to Assaf HaRofeh Hospital. EMS personnel on the scene reported two children are in serious condition with smoke inhalation. About 20 others suffered smoke inhalation as well, reportedly in light and light-to-moderate condition. The fire department reports five teams responded to the blaze, including an aerial ladder to get the residents out of the apartment building.
Fire department incident commander Reuven Yitzchak reports that they were successful in getting the residents out of the burning apartment, as there were ten persons trapped inside the burning apartment. He adds a number of persons were rescued from other apartments as well, pointing out they were operating under difficult smoke conditions.
Eleven of the victims are from one chareidi family and they were all taken to Assaf HaRofeh. Three of them were taken immediately to the trauma unit due to the seriousness of their injuries.
Hospital officials reported at 7:00AM that two children are on respirators and are in very serious condition. The others, including the mother and father, are all in light condition.
UPDATE: Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem now reporting that the parents injured in the fire and six children, ages 2-14, are being treated, with all of them being victims of the Beit Shemesh fire.
It is unclear if all the children at Hadassah are those of these parents since many children were injured. Baruch Hashem, they are all in light condition and will soon be released.
Assaf HaRofeh Hospital update:
Nine members of the family from the Beit Shemesh fire have been released in good condition. Two children remain in an intensive care unit, with one listed in moderate condition and the other in serious condition, on a respirator.
Photo Credit: Media Resource Group, Roter News, Fire Department Spokesman Unit and Yifat Hadad.
אחת הדירות שנשרפו כליל כתוצאה משריפה שפרצה בבניין המגורים בבית שמש. כזכור, באירוע נפגעו 19 בני אדם, שניים מהם במצב קשה @Yossi_eli pic.twitter.com/NK8isPeKSm
— חדשות עשר (@news10) November 15, 2018
Photo Credit: Media Resource Group, Roter News & Fire Department Spokesman Unit
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Assaf harofeh, great hospital. BUT, Forty minutes away! Chaval, a burgeonong metropolis like Beit Shemesh has no closer hospital. But somehow they keep up building projects for malls and office buildings. A closer hospital is one thing i hope the new mayor will make a pet project. Does central israel really need ANOTHER ikea? What a perfect site for a hospital.
Yet another wake up call to fit smoke detectors in every flat!
Wishing all the affected persons a speedy Refuoh Shlemoh.
Please explain to me why you have to add the word charedi.I would think that its important to know that they are jewish
Whatever hospital beit shemesh gets will not change where they will be taken for smoke inhalation, Mrs D.
These victims needed a hyperbaric chamber to remove the carbon monoxide. No beit shemesh hospital will ever have that. Or a trauma center,either.
So lets keep building those office buildings and malls.