A fire raged through the upper floors of a 15-story office building here today. More than 20 people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation after they were rescued from the 12th and 15th floors by firemen and Magen David Adam ambulance crews. An army helicopter aided by dropping gas masks on the roof of the burning building. There were no fatalities or injuries.
The fire, which took three hours to bring under control, broke out in the Hadar Dafna building which houses the Tel Aviv office of the Education Ministry, the Postal Service and many other offices. The Magen David Adom dispatched 20 ambulances which were the first rescue vehicles to arrive at the scene, according to a Magen David Adom spokesman. In addition to assisting the fire brigade in rescue operations, the ambulance medical teams administered first aid for burns, smoke poisoning and shock. The hospitalized victims were all reported in satisfactory condition.
The fire was one of the worst in Tel Aviv since the Zim Lines building burned more than 10 years ago, a blaze which took several lives. The Interior Ministry has ordered an investigation.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
