Gaza apartment block collapse leaves 12 dead, many missing

A damaged building in Gaza City housing about six displaced families collapsed on Wednesday morning, killing at least 12 people and injuring 15, according to Shifa Hospital. At least four children were among the dead.

Dozens of people remained missing or trapped under the rubble and video showed civil defense crews surveying the wreckage and using bulldozers to dig out people, including children.

The building had been partially destroyed in an Israeli strike earlier in the war. It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse, but in Gaza — where the majority of buildings have been damaged or destroyed — dozens of multistory structures have collapsed throughout the war, particularly during winter weather.

Building collapses have become a major hazard in Gaza. Displaced families have often returned from tent camps to homes damaged by bombardment during the almost three years of war.