Suspect Arrested for Dumping Waste Causing Foul Odor in Rishon LeZion

By Меир Турджеман

Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba

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Russian · 3 newsrooms covering

Police in Rishon LeZion arrested a sewage truck driver on November 4 suspected of dumping waste oil or fuel into sewer shafts, causing a severe odor that affected tens of thousands of residents. Two residents were hospitalized due to the smell, which was eventually traced to a western part of the city. The mayor confirmed the incident as a "serious sanitary threat," and authorities plan to flush the sewer system to eliminate the smell.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

A sewage truck driver was arrested in Rishon LeZion on November 4 for allegedly dumping waste oil or fuel.
The alleged dumping caused a severe foul odor that affected tens of thousands of residents for two days.
Two residents were hospitalized and children complained of eye irritation due to the noxious smell.
Mayor Raz Kinztlich called the incident a "serious sanitary threat" involving fuel and oil waste.
Authorities plan to flush the sewer system to eliminate the source of the odor.

Police in Rishon LeZion arrested a sewage service truck driver on Wednesday, November 4, suspected of causing a severe foul odor that plagued the city for two days. Investigators believe the driver dumped waste oil or fuel into sewer shafts along roadsides within the city limits. Surveillance footage reportedly showed the truck approaching and leaving a sewer shaft, leading authorities to suspect his actions were responsible for forcing tens of thousands of residents to keep their windows shut. The investigation is ongoing. Reports of the strong smell began on November 1 in the western parts of the city, with residents of the Ramat Eliyahu neighborhood reporting it on the morning of November 2. Two residents were hospitalized for shortness of breath, and elementary school students complained of eye irritation. Firefighters conducted multiple sweeps with measuring devices but found no dangerous substances, though they confirmed smelling the unusual odor themselves. The source of the smell was finally located on the night of November 3. Mayor Raz Kinztlich stated on social media that "a serious sanitary threat" had occurred, with fuel and oil waste dumped into a sewer well in a remote western area. The mayor, along with representatives from the Home Front Command, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the city's water company "Meyavash," participated in the city's inspection. Samples were taken from the suspected dumping site. The municipality and the Ministry of Environmental Protection are scheduled to conduct a special sewer flushing in the coming days to eliminate the odor. The mayor expressed hope that this would resolve the "big (and smelly) mystery" that had troubled the city for the past two days.