A service elevator used on a construction site fell down from a high-rise building in northern Israel on Sunday, hitting a shipping container which toppled over and caused the death of two construction workers.
The preliminary investigation of the accident indicates the workers were installing an elevator at the site, and when it had reached the 12th floor, it broke off and fell onto a container.
The Magen David Adom (MDA) service center said it received a report about the toppled shipping container at a construction site in the city of Tirat Carmel at 9:47am. MDA crews arrived at the scene and treated several workers who suffered injuries. The injured workers were later evacuated to a hospital.
A MDA paramedic, Mohammad Tabash, who was among the first to arrive at the scene of the tragedy, said, “When we arrived at the site, we saw a container, which fell on top of another container, causing it to topple. Two men were trapped under the toppled container. They sustained severe injuries, and we had to pronounce their deaths after they were pulled from under the container.”
He added: “A man was rescued from the container that fell down, he suffered moderate injuries and was fully conscious. Three more worker, two suffering moderate injuries and one suffering minor injuries, were evacuated to the hospital.”
Part of the fallen container smashed into a garden of a residential home, while the female owner was still inside. The woman escaped the incident unharmed.
Israel Asal, a lawyer and legal counsel for an NGO that monitors safety on Israeli construction sites, told Ynet that since the start of 2022 at least 44 workers have been killed in various accidents.
"We’re only counting those who died. It’s important to say that there are also countless workers who were injured, some severely. An injury is even worse than death in some tragic cases. People are left are paralyzed, bound to wheelchairs and beds for life.”
Aryeh Tal, mayor of Tirat Carmel, said, "This is a grave accident, and it’s being investigated by every responsible body, including the Directorate General of Labor and the Israel Police.”