One worker was killed and three others were injured today when the scaffolding collapsed at a renovation site in south Tel Aviv. After a complicated and prolonged rescue effort carried out by the fire department and the Home Front Command, Magen David Adom paramedics declared the death of a man around 30 years old. In addition, one worker with moderate injuries and two lightly injured workers were taken to Ichilov Hospital for treatment.
The collapse took place around 8:40 a.m. The scaffolding surrounded a six-story high residential building undergoing external renovations.
“We received a report of scaffolding that had collapsed at a building being renovated,” Magen David Adom paramedic Ronen Cohen said. “We arrived in large numbers and saw the collapsed scaffolding beside the building. Three workers were fully conscious—we got them out of the rubble and provided medical care.”
Cohen said that the paramedics were told of another worker who was missing underneath the rubble. “We continued rescue efforts together with the fire fighters and the Home Front Command, eventually locating a man around 30 years old, unconscious, without a pulse, and not breathing, with multisystemic trauma. After he was rescued, we performed medical tests and were unfortunately forced to declare his death at the scene.”
ZAKA, Israel’s volunteer search and rescue organization, helped handle the worker’s body in order to protect the dignity of the dead.
Following the incident, the Kav LaOved workers organization released the following statement: “Since the start of 2025, 29 workers in the construction industry have been killed, and more than 220 have been injured moderately or severely. These tragic work accidents are not predestined. They are human beings. Despite the increase in work accidents across all industries, including the construction industries, no minister of labor has been able to finally command the establishment of a national authority for workplace health and safety, which would put an end to the phenomenon wherein people leave the house for work and come home in a coffin.”