The search for survivors of Thursday night's Jerusalem hotel collpase entered its third day today. At least 30 people died in Israel’s worst-ever civil disaster and eight were arrested in connection with it.
An amateur video broadcast into Israeli homes showed the terrifying collapse of the building known as the Versailles Hall that left over 300 injured and dozens more trapped in the rubble. A wedding was reception was taking place when the disaster struck.
An army official at the site said many could still be buried under the ruins of the hotel.
The scene was still one of chaos, with injured being evacuated, sniffer dogs searching for bodies trapped under the debris and rescue workers carrying out piles of rubble in plastic bags.
The collapse of the Versailles ballroom was the worst accident in Israel since 73 soldiers were killed on February 4th, 1997, in the collision of two air force helicopters that were taking them to south Lebanon.
Five months later, four Australian athletes were killed and some 70 people injured when a bridge collapsed during the opening ceremony of the Maccabia Games, or Jewish Olympics.
Five men, including the bridge builder and engineer, were convicted for negligence causing death.
AFP
