Israeli online daily Ynetnews reported that one person was seriously wounded from an explosion, apparently caused by gas leakage, which took place on Thursday morning in a multi-story building in Nisenbaum street in the Neveh Shaanan neighborhood in Haifa. Another 24 people were injured in the explosion, including two who suffered moderate wounds and the others were lightly injured by glass shrapnel.
The Ynetnews added that three children, a two-year-old toddler, and a three-month-old baby are among the injured.
The explosion took place at 7:15 in the building’s sixth floor; the floor totally collapsed and the seventh floor partially collapsed.
Furniture and rubble were scattered on the street, and cars parked near the building were damaged.
Haifa police Deputy Chief, Ahuva Tomer, told the Ynetnews that an initial investigation reveals that the explosion was caused by an accident.
The firefighter devision in Haifa reported that the explosion was caused by gas leakage at one of the apartments, the leakage was caused by a rip in a gas pipe or because the gas tap was left opened.
A special team formed by the commander of the Haifa firefighter division to probe the circumstances of the explosion.
According to a report by the Israeli police, residents of the building said they smelled gas, but it appears that none of the residents reported this to the authorities.
