There seems to be an epidemic of buildings in Israel being deemed unsafe, fueled by the Surfside disaster and the collapse of a building in Holon last month.

On Tuesday, residents of a building in Kiryat Ata in northern Israel were evacuated after cracks were discovered in the building. Fire and Rescue workers who were called to the site, which is partially commercial and partially residential, carried out a safety evaluation of the building. After discovering many cracks, they ordered an evacuation of the residents and business employees.

A municipal engineer will carry out a thorough examination of the building to determine the next steps.

In Rechovot, city authorities ordered the closure of the dorm of Yeshivas Meor HaTalmud, which is located in a building that is over 100 years old, after cracks were discovered in the building.

According to a Kol Chai Radio report on Tuesday, the yeshivah administration reported a number of issues regarding the dorm to the municipality, including plaster falling from the ceiling, cracks, and peeling in the ceiling. A municipal engineer carried out a safety evaluation of the dorm, which normally houses 150 bochurim, and determined that it was at risk of collapse and banned anyone from entering the building.

On Monday evening, a building in Ra’anana that was undergoing renovations was demolished in a controlled collapse after it was deemed at imminent risk of collapse.

As a result of digging during the construction, the building began tilting slightly to the side. The residents were evacuated and a decision was made to demolish the building before it collapsed, necessitating the evacuation of the residents of adjacent buildings as well.

מחשש לקריסה: בניין מגורים ברעננה נהרס הערב לאחר שפונה מדייריו@ittaishick pic.twitter.com/wkOys5P6V8

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) October 4, 2021

The 14 families who lived in the building were settled in hotels by the municipality.

Earlier on Monday, residents of a building in Beit Shemesh were evacuated after the building was deemed unsafe.

On Motzei Yom Kippur, the residents of two buildings in Bnei Brak were evacuated after a passerby reported serious safety concerns about the building and a municipal engineer determined that the buildings were at risk of collapse.

Earlier that week, a building in Holon collapsed a day after 36 families were evacuated due to the formation of cracks in the building.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)