Twenty-one Palestinians, including children and women, were killed when a six-story residential building collapsed in the industrial zone west of Gaza City early Wednesday, while rescue teams continued searching for about 100 people missing or trapped under the rubble, according to estimates conveyed by officials in the Strip.
Death toll and difficulties recovering the bodies
Despite its cracks, dozens of families, most of them women and children, returned to live in the building because of the shortage of shelter and the hardship of life in displaced people's tents. Munir al-Bursh, director general of Gaza's Health Ministry, said the call, “Is anyone alive?” was repeated by rescue teams and police while searching beneath the rubble.
The number of people missing in the collapse of this building alone was estimated at about 100, including 50 children. Social media users circulated a video showing a girl calling for help as she was pulled from beneath the rubble. Activists and aid organizations also called for heavy equipment to be brought in to clear the rubble and repair damaged buildings that could endanger their residents.
