West Bank Blaze Kills 14

An explosion at an unlicensed lighter factory set off a raging fire Thursday, killing 14 Palestinian workers and injuring dozens of rescuers who were overcome by smoke inhalation.

The factory was located inside an apartment building in Hebron. The explosion early Thursday sparked a fire that burned out of control for more than two hours, preventing rescuers from reaching those trapped inside.

Thick black smoke engulfed the neighborhood. In desperate rescue attempts, dozens of relatives and passers-by ran toward the burning building, only to return choking and empty-handed.

Initially, only one Hebron fire truck responded to the scene. After about an hour, two Israeli army fire trucks stationed at the nearby Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba also arrived, and Israelis and Palestinians worked side-by-side to put out the flames.

Once the flames died down, the charred bodies of 14 factory employees were retrieved from the building. Rescue workers, some breaking down in tears, placed the remains in plastic bags and laid them on the sidewalk.

Hebron Mayor Mustafa Natche said the factory, which produced cigarette lighters on the ground floor of a three-story apartment building, did not have a license. It was located in a densely populated neighborhood of Hebron, a city of 130,000 Palestinians and 500 Jewish settlers.

By Nasser Shiyoukhi
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