Thirty-nine people were injured in a fire in a seminary dormitory on David Yellin Street in Jerusalem, on Monday.
Three were in serious condition, and two were in moderate condition, Magen David Adom said. The others were lightly injured.
KAN News reported that the fire was likely caused by a short-circuit.
MDA paramedic Eliahu Ben Hamu said he saw “heavy smoke coming from the building,” adding that “all the victims were fully conscious. We saw three individuals in serious condition and two in moderate condition, all fully conscious and suffering from smoke inhalation.
“We began providing initial medical treatment while loading them into Magen David Adom intensive care units and ambulances and transporting them to various hospitals in the city.”
Paramedics operate on scene
United Hatzalah paramedics Ariel Drey and Zevi Klein recounted what they saw upon arriving at the scene.
“The fire broke out in a residential building that partly serves as a girls’ seminary. We provided initial medical assistance to numerous casualties, including three men who ran into the building to rescue victims and 14 girls who were evacuated by United Hatzalah ambulances,” they said.
The injured were evacuated to Hadassah-University Medical Centers in Ein Kerem and Mount Scopus.
“This is a significant and major incident with many casualties,” Shmulik Friedman, head of the Jerusalem District of the Israel Fire and Rescue Authorities, said. “We have launched an investigation in cooperation with the Israel Police to determine the circumstances of the fire’s outbreak.”