Authorities on Tuesday identified the two construction workers killed when debris from an Iranian missile struck a construction site in the central city of Yahud. The victims were Rustam Golumov, 61, and Amid Murtuzov, 40, both residents of Petah Tikva.
Golumov was pronounced dead shortly after the strike Monday afternoon, when missile fragments from an Iranian barrage hit the construction site.
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First responders at the scene of the missile debris impact in Yahud
(Photo: Yariv Katz)
Murtuzov was critically wounded in the same incident and was evacuated to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, where doctors pronounced him dead Tuesday morning.
Both men were working at the site and were not inside a protected space when the missile fragments hit the area.
Petah Tikva Mayor Rami Greenberg expressed condolences to the families, saying the incident “reminds us once again what kind of murderous enemy we are facing and how important it is to defeat it.”
“The city of Petah Tikva embraces you at this difficult time and shares in your grief,” he said, adding that the municipality would assist the families.
The strike occurred Monday afternoon during a barrage launched from Iran that caused several impact sites and casualties across central Israel. The construction site in Yahud was the most severe of the incidents.
Authorities had already announced Monday the death of a 40-year-old worker at the site. With the death of the second worker, the toll from the strike rose to two.
Elsewhere during the attacks, one person was seriously wounded in the nearby city of Or Yehuda. Extensive damage was reported at other impact sites in Bat Yam and Holon, where one person was also lightly injured.
Magen David Adom paramedic Noam Dahan, who was among the first responders at the construction site, described it as “a complex scene.” He said one victim was found without signs of life, while the second received life-saving treatment before being evacuated to the hospital. Despite medical efforts, the critically injured worker later died.
A witness at the Yahud site said the blast was followed by confusion and visible damage. “We heard a boom, waited a few minutes and then started hearing noises,” she said. “At first we saw all the metal containers full of holes, and then the ambulances began arriving. We were in shock. The walls of the house, the reinforced room — everything shook.”
The incident came weeks after the Ministry of Construction and Housing updated guidelines for the construction sector under the wartime emergency.
Following consultations with security authorities, the ministry designated the construction industry as essential to the economy, allowing work to continue across the sector — including building sites, manufacturing plants, construction material suppliers, transport services, heavy equipment operators, cranes and engineering supervision.
Under the guidelines, construction activity is permitted only at sites where a compliant and accessible protected space is available within the required warning time. The ministry said responsibility for implementing the safety rules rests with site managers and contractors.
First published: 11:21, 03.10.26