An 80-year-old man and woman were critically injured overnight in a fire that broke out in a residential building on Moshe Ichilov Street in Netanya, emergency services said Wednesday.
A 73-year-old woman was seriously injured from smoke inhalation, while a 42-year-old woman was listed in moderate condition. Seven others sustained minor injuries.
Fire and Rescue Services said firefighters rescued the injured residents and achieved full control of the blaze. An investigation has been opened into the cause of the fire.
According to the fire service, residents of the building were instructed to remain inside their apartments as firefighters worked under heavy smoke to extract those trapped and prevent the flames from spreading.
Magen David Adom said paramedics performed prolonged resuscitation efforts on the man and woman, who were unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing after inhaling large amounts of smoke. They were evacuated to Laniado Medical Center in critical condition.
The remaining injured were also taken to Laniado Hospital for treatment. MDA teams remained at the scene to secure the area while firefighters continued operations.
Paramedic Gil Dekel said, “After the firefighting operations, an approximately 80-year-old man and woman were brought to us unconscious, without a pulse and not breathing after inhaling heavy smoke. We provided life-saving treatment, including prolonged resuscitation, and evacuated them to the hospital in critical condition while fighting for their lives.”