New and deeply disturbing details are emerging from the tragedy at a private daycare in Jerusalem’s Romema neighborhood, where two infants — aged 2 months and 4 months — died around midday, and an additional 53 toddlers were evacuated to local hospitals.

First responders arriving at the scene described highly unusual and severe conditions. According to their accounts, infants were put to sleep inside closets, in hallways, and in bathrooms. Dozens of toddlers were crowded into a single small apartment, some sleeping on top of one another inside closets, while others were placed next to a toilet in the bathroom. It was further reported that an air conditioner was operating at extremely high heat, under conditions described as drying and life-threatening.

Israel Fire and Rescue Services said that following an inspection, suspicion of a hazardous materials incident was ruled out. However, officials emphasized that the daycare was operating within a complex of illegal private daycares inside a building on HaMem Gimmel Street in the Romema neighborhood. Police officers and fire crews evacuated the infants from the apartment, and three caregivers were detained for questioning as part of a criminal investigation that has been opened.

Dozens of parents rushed to the scene in frantic attempts to locate their children. Paramedics were forced to show parents photos on their mobile phones as families tried to identify their toddlers. Fire and Rescue officials said that the younger of the two infants who died was attending the daycare for the first time, and that both infants were sleeping in a separate bedroom at the time of the incident.

Jerusalem District Fire Commander Tufser Shmulik Friedman ordered the establishment of a special emergency team to examine the circumstances of the unusual incident, including the daycare’s operating conditions, the number of children present, and the heating devices that were in use inside the small apartment where dozens of infants were housed.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)