Two four-month-old babies have died and around 55 children were injured following a suspected gas leak at a nursery in Jerusalem. The incident occurred on Monday at a daycare centre on Ha-Mag Street in the Romema neighbourhood.
Emergency services were called to the scene after reports of a suspected hazardous materials incident. Initially feared to be a chemical attack, it is now believed to have been a carbon monoxide leak. The building was evacuated, and the injured children were taken to Haare Zedek and Hadassah Mount Scopus hospitals.
Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA) confirmed the deaths. Paramedics stated: 'This is a serious incident. We were called to the scene to treat a four-month-old baby who was found unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing. We began by providing medical treatment, which included performing CPR and evacuation.'
Firefighters and the district HazMat unit are on scene monitoring for dangerous substances. The Education Ministry said an investigation is underway, noting the daycare operated inside a private apartment. Police urged the public to avoid the area while specialist teams work to identify the substance and ventilate affected spaces.
