Rescuers retrieve 3 bodies from collapsed building in Tel Aviv

Rescue forces said they retrieved Tuesday a third body from the rubbles of a building that collapsed a day before in Israel's financial capital Tel Aviv, killing at least three people.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the man was a construction worker. He showed no signs of life when the rescuers finally reached him, about 24 hours after the collapse.

A military spokesperson said that the teams are continuing their efforts to find more casualties in the multi-story underground car park, which was still under construction at the time of the collapse.

The teams believe that at least two more missing workers are trapped in the rubbles.

According to MDA rescue service, 23 construction workers were injured in the accident.

Five people had been pulled alive from the wreckage by Monday evening, in what the army termed a "vigorous" search and rescue effort, according to The Times of Israel.

Four hundred soldiers from the IDF's Home Front Command were still working at the site Tuesday, an IDF spokesperson said.

One fatality was identified on Monday night as a 28-year-old construction worker from Ukraine.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayahu, who left Tuesday morning on a diplomatic visit to The Hague, Netherlands, visited the site on Monday night, saying that he was "deeply impressed by the work of the rescue units."

"The people are doing exceptional work on the highest professional level to be found anywhere in the world. There are still people trapped; we are making every effort and are not giving up on anyone. We will reach them all." he said a statement before boarding the plane.

The reason for the collapse was not immediately clear. Police have launched a criminal investigation into the collapse, suspecting negligence.

The accident occurred in Ramat Hachayal, a neighborhood in northern Tel Aviv, home to many offices of Israel's booming high-tech industry.

Israel has a high number of construction accidents, compared to other developed countries. According to figures from the Economy and Industry Ministry, 30 workers were killed in construction sites since the beginning of 2016.

Source  : XINHUA