Building collapses in central Tel Aviv during works

Part of a building under renovation partially collapsed on Wednesday morning in central Tel Aviv, with rescue teams extracting three people from the rubble and no injuries reported.

The incident occurred around 9:37 AM local time at the intersection of Nahalat Binyamin Street and either Ahad Ha’am Street or Rothschild Boulevard, according to emergency services and local reports.

A building under construction collapsed on Nahalat Binyamin Street in Tel Aviv Wednesday morning, trapping construction workers. Rescue teams have pulled three people from the rubble and are searching for additional victims. MDA, 27A https://t.co/Luy9WxOE3I

— C14 News | EN (@c14english) October 14, 2026

The structure, described as a residential building undergoing extensive renovations or preparation for demolition, was unoccupied by residents and functioned as a construction site.

‘Israel’s’ Fire and Rescue Authority, Magen David Adom (MDA), and police responded quickly, later joined by Home Front Command units.

Fire and rescue crews pulled three individuals—believed to be construction workers—from the debris.

Part of a building under renovation collapsed Wednesday morning on Nahalat Binyamin Street in Tel Aviv. Rescue teams extracted three people from the rubble, believed to be construction workers. No injuries were initially reported. https://t.co/jMzYAnR1Bd

— Israel National News - Arutz Sheva (@ArutzSheva_En) October 14, 2026

MDA and police continued searching the site to confirm no one else remained trapped.

Separately, officials reported that five workers had exited the building moments before the collapse.

No injuries were identified in initial assessments.

The Fire and Rescue Authority noted that asbestos was likely involved in the incident.

Witnesses described a sudden, loud noise and a thick cloud of dust.

Yaron, who works in the area, said: “Suddenly I heard a loud noise, like an explosion. I went outside and saw that the structure had collapsed. It was very scary, the whole area was dust. The forces arrived quickly, and luckily the building is not occupied by tenants. It’s hard to think what would have happened if people lived there.”

Anat, who lives three houses away, added: “I heard a boom and went out to see what happened. When I realized that the building had collapsed, I panicked. The fact that there are no tenants there is great luck. The whole area here is old houses. It is scary to think about the condition of the buildings we live in.”

Footage circulating from the scene showed people running as part of the structure gave way and dust billowed across the busy street.

The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality stated that the building had been slated for demolition prior to the unexpected collapse and instructed residents to stay away from the scene.

Dozens of neighbors in adjacent buildings were evacuated as a precaution. Police closed several nearby junctions, including Herzl and Ahad Ha’am, Nahalat Binyamin and Montefiore, and Rothschild and Nahalat Binyamin, while directing traffic and assisting with the search.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse and whether the site was part of a national urban-renewal or reinforcement project (such as TAMA) or a full pinui-binui demolition-and-rebuild plan.

Searches of the rubble continued into the late morning as emergency teams worked to rule out any additional trapped individuals.