A man was arrested Saturday on suspicion of attempting to murder his mentally impaired brother by throwing him into an underground garbage container in Jerusalem’s Gilo neighborhood, police said.
The victim was rescued by firefighters, treated by Magen David Adom paramedics and taken in moderate condition to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center. Police opened an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.
Jerusalem man suspected of attempted murder after throwing relative into underground trash bin
Fire and Rescue Service crews called to the scene found the man trapped inside the underground container. They detected low oxygen levels and high concentrations of explosive gases, making the rescue operation both complex and dangerous.
Because of his condition and the danger to his life, firefighters had to persuade him to wear a rescue hood that supplied breathable air while crews worked to reach him.
Incident commander Rami Meir described the operation as “complex and dangerous,” saying it took more than an hour to create the conditions needed to complete the rescue.
Firefighters pumped fresh air into the container using specialized equipment and worked to reduce the concentration of hazardous gases. A Jerusalem Municipality crane was later brought to the scene to lift the container, which together with its contents was estimated to weigh about one ton.