At least three people have been killed and about 15 injured in an explosion in the Israeli city of Netanya, with dozens more trapped in a residential building.
The cause of the blast was not clear, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, adding that Israeli security forces were still looking into the background of the explosion, which had caused "extensive" damage.
Asked about reports that a gas leak had caused the blast, Rosenfeld said: "We don't know that."
One resident told Israel Radio there had been a strong smell of gas.
Officials at the scene told Israeli media they feared the building could collapse. The explosion was reported to have happened on the third or fourth floor of the apartment block. Ambulances and fire engines were at the scene in Netanya, on the coast north of Tel Aviv.
Streets around the apartment block were sealed off.
There has been a decline in bombings by Palestinian militants in Israel in recent years, although a British woman was killed in a blast at a Jerusalem bus stop in March. During a wave of suicide bombings during the second intifada (uprising) a decade ago, the targets were generally public transport and cafes, bars and restaurants.
0 comments:
Post a Comment