Building collapse in Gaza kills at least 21 people including eight children seeking shelter

At least 21 people, including eight children, have been killed after a war-damaged apartment building collapsed in Gaza overnight. Nearly a hundred more people remain trapped beneath the rubble, the Palestinian Civil Defence said on Wednesday. The seven-storey building was home to at least 10 families, according to Raed Al-Dahshan, the director of Gaza City's civil defence service. Tens of thousands of Palestinians are estimated to be living in around 2,000 buildings damaged in Israeli air strikes across Gaza, according to the local rescue service. Crews carry a body from the rubble of the collapsed building (AP)“We are still hearing voices from under the rubble, so there is still hope to find people,” said Dahshan.A video obtained by Reuters showed rescue workers trying to pull out two people from under a collapsed wall. Another video circulated on social media showed Gaza's civil defence spokesperson, Mahmoud Basal, carrying a little girl, wrapped in a blood-stained scarf, in his hands.Alessandro Mrakic, head of the UN Development Programme's Gaza office, said rescuers from some UN agencies were taking part in the rescue efforts, which he described as difficult due to the lack of proper machinery. Egypt's relief agency is also reportedly taking part. “The situation, as you see, is tragic because we don't have the equipment and machinery that is needed. So there are actually people who are digging with their bare hands. We need to prepare (for more deaths),” said Mrakic.Civil Defence workers attempt to rescue people trapped beneath the rubble (Reuters)“There are approximately 400 buildings at risk of collapse. And we know that these buildings will collapse, especially now with the upcoming winter,” he added.Palestinian and UN officials blame Israel's restrictions on Gaza for the lack of heavy machinery in the territory. Israel says this is in order to keep equipment out of the hands of militant groups.Israel's assault on Gaza — launched after Hamas' deadly raid into Israel in October 2023 — has generated around 61 million tons of wreckage and debris that could take seven years to clear, according to the United ​Nations.Dahshan warned residents to stay away from wrecked buildings due to the risk of collapse.Heavy machinery assists Civil Defence workers attempting to rescue those who are trapped beneath the rubble (Reuters)“The limited availability of shelter options forced residents to move into this building, believing it was safe. However, at one point it collapsed entirely, tragically crashing down on people as they slept,” said Dahshan.Many families have told Reuters in the past months that they resorted to living in partially damaged buildings to protect themselves against wind and rainstorms, and because of the lack of new tents for the homeless.More than 1,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed ‌in Gaza ⁠since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory's health officials, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed. Hamas and Israel accuse each other of violating the agreement.