News Desk
GAZA: At least 21 people died and several others were wounded in a fire at a building in Jabalia Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip, health officials said.
The deceased also include 10 children, BBC reported while citing a medical official. Fire-fighters struggled for more than an hour to bring the massive blaze under control at the top floor of a four-story building in the crowded Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip.
A national tragedy
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas termed the incident a national tragedy and called for a day of mourning.
As per preliminary findings, the blaze was sparked by gasoline stored in the building, however, an investigation is still underway to determine the cause of the fire.
Secretary-general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Hussein Al-Sheikh said in a tweet that PLO urged Israel to open the Erez crossing to transport critical cases outside Gaza for treatment if necessary.
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Jabalia refugee camp
Located north of Gaza City, Jabalia is the largest of the strip’s eight refugee camps.
It is home to 2.3 million people and is one of the world’s most densely populated locations.
After the Arab-Israeli of 1948, 35,000 refugees – most of whom had fled from villages in southern Palestine – settled in the camp. The camp currently covers an area of only 1.4 square kilometers.
