Elderly Woman Killed, Man Seriously Hurt in Gas Explosion in Jerusalem's Old City

An elderly woman, about 80 years old, was killed Thursday afternoon in a gas explosion in a residential building on HaMelech Street in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. A man in his 50s was seriously injured and taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center with severe burns.

Israel Fire and Rescue services said the explosion was likely caused by a gas leak from the kitchen area of one of the apartments. Investigators said the gas appears to have reached an explosive concentration before igniting, causing damage to the building.

Magen David Adom crews reached the scene using a special ATV that could move through the Old City’s narrow alleys. Paramedics found two victims, and senior medic Eliyahu Pechter, along with Elia Nouri and Yair David, said the woman was lying unconscious, with no pulse and no breathing. They performed prolonged resuscitation efforts, but were forced to pronounce her dead at the scene.

The medical teams also treated the wounded man and evacuated him while he was conscious. Firefighters from the Egoz station searched the building and surrounding area for additional trapped victims and found none. Power and energy sources were disconnected, monitoring tests found no abnormal readings, and officials said the incident was under control. A fire investigator will examine the cause of the blast.