A man in his 60s was seriously injured Monday when a balcony collapsed onto him in central Tel Aviv, authorities and bystanders said.
The man had just stepped off a bus on Herzl Street when the concrete and bricks above gave way, witnesses said. Footage from a nearby security camera shows large chunks of masonry falling onto the sidewalk as the man was exiting the bus.
Security footage shows moment balcony collapses onto passerby in Tel Aviv during heavy storm, leaving him seriously injured
“He got off the bus and as soon as he stepped out the balcony collapsed on him,” said Kfir, an employee at a shop near the scene. “We heard a boom and ran outside. The man was hurt in the head, back, shoulders and arms. He was bleeding from his head and talking to us.”
Bystanders kept the man conscious while they waited for emergency crews and, by chance, a passing doctor assisted until paramedics arrived, Kfir said. “I’ve been here 13 years and it was obvious something like this would happen,” he added, describing crumbling infrastructure in the neighborhood.
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Police stand near the site where a balcony collapsed onto a sidewalk during a winter storm in Tel Aviv, seriously injuring a man in his 60s
(Photo: Shaul Golan)
Arie Gavlayev, owner of an adjacent home appliance store, said he initially thought a traffic accident had occurred. “I saw all the bricks on the ground and the split balcony and realized what happened,” he said. “Everyone came out and tried to help. I own a lot of property in the area. They do cosmetic fixes here and there, but the balcony above my shop looks like it’s about to fall too. It’s just a matter of time.”
Gavlayev said changes in weather and moisture have weakened buildings in the area. “There are city engineers who will inspect balconies and deal with this. It’s human lives; there are solutions,” he said. “We’re not in a third‑world country. Thousands of people walk here every day; we’re in central Tel Aviv. The surrounding buildings are shaky.”
Police said officers sealed off the scene and are investigating the incident with municipal inspectors. The call reporting the balcony collapse came in at 1:02 p.m. to the Magen David Adom emergency line.
Magen David Adom paramedic Simcha Simanduyev and emergency medical technician Shimon Fresch said the man was found semi‑conscious on the sidewalk surrounded by debris. “He suffered multi‑system trauma,” they said. The injured man was taken to the city's Sourasky Medical Center with a head injury.