80-Year-Old Barry Levitt Dies in Jerusalem Balcony Collapse Near Angel Bakery

Barry Levitt, aged 80, was the sole fatality in a balcony collapse that occurred on Monday in the Rehavia neighborhood of Jerusalem. Levitt was found unconscious and in critical condition after the balcony fell onto the Angel Bakery branch below, and was later pronounced dead by medical teams. His wife and two teenagers aged 16 and 17 were lightly injured in the incident. The balcony was located on the second floor of a three-story residential building on KKL Street. The collapse caused significant damage to both the building and the bakery on the ground floor.

Jerusalem police have launched a criminal investigation into the circumstances of the collapse. Deputy Superintendent Moshe Ohayon stated that investigators are examining suspicions of criminal negligence. Preliminary findings revealed that an engineer had visited the site earlier due to identified structural defects in the balcony. The engineer had ordered the immediate installation of scaffolding and urgent repair work. However, the repairs had not begun when the balcony collapsed hours later.

A resident of the building recounted narrowly escaping harm, describing how she had just left the bakery minutes before the collapse and heard a loud crash. Jerusalem Municipality dispatched a hazardous buildings team and the city engineer to assess the site. They are currently evaluating the building’s stability and risks, with plans to act on professional recommendations once inspections are complete.