Netanya victims complain of neglect

Residents of building destroyed by blast say no one to turn to in municipality, mayor abroad

Reuters | Published: 06.19.11, 11:43

Residents of a building damaged by a gas blast Thursday night in Netanya – many of whom were forced to stay at hotels and relatives' homes over the weekend – complained Sunday the city was neglecting them and called on the government to intervene.

"The mayor is abroad and there is no one to talk to because there are so many deputies in the municipality we don't know who to turn to," Yossi Bines told Ynet.

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He added that the government had to intervene for the benefit of those whose homes were destroyed or damaged. "There are people who have nowhere to go," he said.

Eli Srur, who owns a restaurant near the site of the blast, was also critical of the municipality. "We came here two years ago from France and brought all of our savings to Israel, because we're Zionists," he said.

"The mayor knows how to eat at restaurants on the beach but not how to treat gas containers that stand exposed," he said.

Residents and their relatives remained shut out of the building Sunday. "They won’t let us get our things, the minimum necessities. There isn't an officer to accompany us into the apartment and they are afraid of looting," said Moshe Kabalo, whose mother resides in the building.

"My medicine and prescriptions are in the apartment and I can't go in," said Jacqueline. "The municipality said a supervisor would come by but there's no one here."

But Netanya Municipality blames the police, which city officials say have abandoned the scene. But they added that an officer would soon be present to escort residents into their apartments.