Eight arrested for wedding disaster captured on video
Police have made eight arrests after 25 people were killed and 300 injured when a building hosting a wedding reception in Jerusalem collapsed.
The hall's four owners, along with two contractors, an engineer and a builder responsible for the construction are being held.
Rescue teams are continuing to dig for survivors of the tragedy which claimed the lives of at least 25 people and injured more than 300. Assi and Keren Sror were dancing on tables with their 600 guests when the top floor of the banquet hall caved in.
The newlyweds, their families and friends plunged down three storeys, as ceiling after ceiling buckled. Assi was treated for minor injuries and released. Keren suffered hip and chest injuries and may need surgery, doctors said.
Sara Pinhas said dancers had just lifted the father of the bridegroom on a chair, a traditional part of the Jewish wedding celebration, when suddenly he fell, "and then we felt the whole building collapse, everything fell down".
Jerusalem police have ruled out the possibility of a terror attack, saying the building collapsed due to structural failure.
Several supporting columns in the halls had recently been removed to enlarge the reception area and the floor tiles had recently been replaced.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, visiting the scene, said he would convene a Cabinet meeting to consider the possibility of launching an official commission of inquiry.
‘‘This was a shocking incident, one of the most difficult that occurred in Israel,’’ Sharon said. ‘‘I would define this as a national disaster.’’
