TikTok stunt ends in house fire in Jerusalem
A teenage suspect, who documented a TikTok video playing with fire alongside her friends, resulted in a residential building in Jerusalem catching fire.
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Numerous residents were evacuated, and eight of them required medical treatment and were taken to hospitals, including several young children and a one-year-old baby. The building suffered significant damage, and the condition of all the affected individuals was reported as mild.
The incident occurred overnight Wednesday last week. The girl uploaded footage to her TikTok account, showing a sofa placed on the staircase engulfed in flames. Within a short time, the fire spread and caused a major blaze on the staircase.
In the footage shared by the girl, the burning sofa is seen alongside the caption "How it started," followed by her documenting the rescue forces, firefighting teams and the extensive damage to the building, with the caption "How it ended."
Following a complaint filed by one of the neighbors, the girl was investigated by the police.
"Just after midnight, we heard screams from the entrance floor, and we were certain it was a terrorist attack," a resident in the building recounted to Ynet. "I went to the window and saw several teenagers running out of the building onto the street. I alerted my wife, and we tried to escape the smoke-filled building. The firefighting teams instructed us to stay close to the window. There was significant damage to the staircase and multiple apartments."
In response, the police stated, "Following the incident, an investigation has been opened, which is currently ongoing. Additional suspects involved in the incident have been questioned and are expected to be investigated further. We will continue the investigation with the aim of uncovering the truth. Due to privacy concerns and especially when minors are involved, we will not provide further details beyond the ongoing investigation and actions."