Tunnel under Gaza-Egypt border collapses
Palestinian rescue officials pull one body out of rubble as search continues for undetermined number of others
A tunnel under the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt collapsed on Saturday, but Palestinian security officials weren't immediately able to say whether it served to smuggle contraband or weapons to
Palestinian gunmen.
A Palestinian security official said one man was dug out from the rubble and an undetermined number of others were trapped in the debris.
The official, Col. Hussein Abu Omar, said the tunnel was dug from inside a Gaza house some 100 meters from the border with Egypt. It was not clear how far it extended into Egypt.
Abu Omar had no details about the owner of the house or further information about the tunnel.
Security forces dug out one person from the rubble, and bulldozers were removing debris so rescuers could look for others.
"What we know right now is that a tunnel collapsed and there are people inside," Abu Omar said. It was not clear how many people were inside, he said.
The man who was pulled out of the debris was taken to a hospital, then left without being questioned by police, hospital and security officials said.
Israel has long accused Egypt of not doing enough to stop the smuggling of weapons to Palestinian gunmen. Egypt has rejected the allegations, but recently said it would make a greater effort to crack down on the trafficking.
