Haq Center for Human Rights:

▪Collapse of a 6-story residential building in the industrial area southwest of Gaza City at dawn on Wednesday, 16 September, as a result of damage and cracks during the war.

▪Preliminary toll: 15 citizens killed, including 5 children, around 20 injured, and more than 70 people still trapped under the rubble.

▪More than 50 families lived in the building and its surroundings, most of them displaced persons.

▪We warn that thousands of civilians face the same danger because of damaged buildings without inspection, reinforcement, or safe removal.

▪The Civil Defense’s inability to respond quickly is worsening due to a shortage of machinery, equipment, fuel, and spare parts.

▪We warn of the danger posed by damaged buildings with the approaching winter and the continued restrictions on bringing in repair and reconstruction materials.

▪We call for lifting restrictions on construction, repair, reinforcement materials, and rescue equipment, and for providing heavy machinery, fuel, and spare parts to the Civil Defense.

▪We call for an urgent engineering survey of damaged buildings, evacuation of those at risk of collapse, and the provision of temporary and safe housing for residents and displaced persons.