Explosion in Netanya
There was a huge explosion in Netanya on Thurs just after midnight that woke us up and rattled the windows. We had no idea what had caused it, but it was definitely an explosion and we assumed that it was a terrorist incident. On Friday they said on the news that it had been a gas explosion and furthermore a man had been seen on the CCTV videos after he cut the main gas line and had been apprehended. Four people were killed and 90 were injured and the building on one side of the main square, Kikar Ha'atzmaut, has been badly damaged. People were rescued from the apartment blocks on that side of the square and three people are still missing.
On Friday morning we drove by the area and we were shocked at the extent of the destruction. The buildings along one side of the square, from Yotvata b'ir on the corner to Miriam's Grill was completely shattered, and there was minor damage all around. The police had cordoned off the area, the army was on guard and large machines were tearing down the damaged buildings, Apparently two men have now been arrested, the man seen on the CCTV and a gas technician who apparently assisted him. There is a rumor that the Netanya mafia was involved, but noone knows of any connection of the mafia to this building. In other cases there have been burnings of buildings (arson), and occasionally shootings.
Quite by chance, a few hours earlier, at around 9 pm, we stopped exactly at that place at the center of the explosion and bought two felafels, not for ourselves but for Barbara, Naomi's sister, and the carer Sally, who were staying with Naomi's mother who had been admitted to the hospital with a suspected stroke. The man who prepared the felafels from his small shop had only been there one and a half months. Unfortunately now his whole shop is completely destroyed. Life is unpredictable.
On Friday morning we drove by the area and we were shocked at the extent of the destruction. The buildings along one side of the square, from Yotvata b'ir on the corner to Miriam's Grill was completely shattered, and there was minor damage all around. The police had cordoned off the area, the army was on guard and large machines were tearing down the damaged buildings, Apparently two men have now been arrested, the man seen on the CCTV and a gas technician who apparently assisted him. There is a rumor that the Netanya mafia was involved, but noone knows of any connection of the mafia to this building. In other cases there have been burnings of buildings (arson), and occasionally shootings.
Quite by chance, a few hours earlier, at around 9 pm, we stopped exactly at that place at the center of the explosion and bought two felafels, not for ourselves but for Barbara, Naomi's sister, and the carer Sally, who were staying with Naomi's mother who had been admitted to the hospital with a suspected stroke. The man who prepared the felafels from his small shop had only been there one and a half months. Unfortunately now his whole shop is completely destroyed. Life is unpredictable.
posted by Jack Cohen at 9:59 AM
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