12-yr-old Among 2 Dead In Synagogue Tragedy That Injures 167 In Givat Ze’ev On Sunday Afternoon

Bleachers collapsed in a Hasidic synagogue in Givat Ze’ev on Sunday afternoon, killing two and injuring at least 167 people. Magen David Adom reported evacuating 5 congregants in serious condition, 10 in moderate condition, and 152 in light condition.

A 12-year-old boy was among the two who succumbed to their wounds after the event. The other being a 40-year-old man.

MDA services reportedly supplied hospitals in the Jerusalem region with 237 doses of blood or plasma in response to the massive influx of patients.

In a video published by Israeli media, dozens of people can be seen falling to the ground as the top layer collapses.

Homefront Command soldiers, military evacuation teams and soldiers from the Central Command were called to the scene, the IDF said in a statement.

MDA paramedic Moshe Tubolsky said after the incident that “When I arrived there was a big commotion, people shouted and ran everywhere telling me that the bleachers had collapsed with dozens inside the synagogue.”

“Several lightly wounded people were near the entrance and civilians led me to a severely wounded man who was lying on the floor nearby, unconscious and suffering from a head injury,” he said.

He continued, saying that “While other large MDA teams were scanning the scene and providing medical care to other wounded people, I put him in an ambulance, gave him life-saving medical care that included anaesthesia and breath support and he was evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in serious condition.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that he was “praying” for those wounded in the incident.