The death toll from the collapse of a building housing displaced people in Gaza has risen to 14

The Civil Defense in Gaza reported that the number of victims of the collapse of a building housing displaced persons in Gaza City had risen to 14, including 5 children.

The supervisor of the file of retrieving victims from under the rubble in the Civil Defense, Muhammad Abu Dan, said that more than 10 families lived in the five-story building.

The building was previously bombed and the displaced people were forced to live there due to the lack of other shelter places. Muhammad Abu Dan added that civil defense crews are making efforts to salvage what can be recovered and to rescue the victims from under the rubble of the building. “We sought help from the Egyptian Committee and the International Committee of the Red Cross to help recover the victims and salvage what could be saved from under the rubble.”

The Gaza Civil Defense Service said that the building was severely damaged as a result of a previous bombing, and that it collapsed during the night hours while its residents, most of whom were displaced, were sleeping, and parts of it fell on nearby tents housing displaced people.

Civil Defense described the incident as a “new tragedy,” noting that its crews, in cooperation with municipal teams, have been working since midnight to reach those trapped under the rubble of the “Al-Saada” building in the industrial area.

The agency added that rescue operations are facing great difficulties due to the lack of equipment and capabilities necessary to remove the rubble and reach the victims, warning that the number of victims may rise as search operations continue.