At least two people died and more than 160 were injured Sunday at an Israeli settlement in the West Bank when a set of bleachers collapsed at a synagogue, according to Israeli authorities.
Israeli officials told CNN and The Times of Israel that the collapse was being treated as a “mass casualty event.” Video shows the room packed with hundreds of worshippers before a section of the bleachers gives way, causing dozens of attendees to fall.
One local news source reported that some victims were believed to have been trapped under the metal structure when it collapsed, according to CNN.
Worshippers were attending the synagogue for Shavuot services that are part of a Jewish holiday. Police told The Times of Israel that the building in which the services were held was unfinished and not approved for public use.
The accident occurred at the Givat Zeev settlement northwest of Jerusalem. It is one of a number of controversial Israeli settlements that the United Nations and numerous countries consider illegal under international law, while the U.S. and Israel’s government have defended their existence.
