“The earth opened its mouth” on Monday at the entrance to the parking lot of Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Several vehicles and at least one tree were “swallowed up” when the ground suddenly caved in.
Miraculously, no one was physically injured in the incident.
It is suspected the collapse happened due to construction on a tunnel road near the hospital parking lot. The ground collapsed right next to a pedestrian sidewalk along the road.
Eight fire and rescue teams raced to the site and carried out searches to check for trapped and/or injured people – and to locate the vehicles that were buried as well.
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon, Jerusalem District Police commander Doron Turgeman and Dr. Ofer Marin, director-general of the hospital all arrived at the site to assess the issue of continued danger and damage.
Marin later said the collapse appeared to have been caused by the nearby digging for a highway tunnel. The hospital director-general added that the hospital itself is safe, and operating as usual.
People have been asked to stay away from the area due to “fears of further collapse in the parking lot,” according to Israel’s Hebrew-language N12 News outlet.
A ceremony to inaugurate the new parking lot had just taken place one hour earlier.
This week’s Torah portion (parsha) relates the story of Korach and his rebellion against Moshe. It says in the text, “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed Korach and his entire congregation.”
At least this time around, God spared the rebellious politicians of Israel. . .