An explosion in Tel Aviv early Friday killed one person, an Israeli emergency services spokesperson said, with the army blaming the accident on a falling aerial target.
The explosion occurred around 03:15 am (0015 GMT) in a building in the city’s centre, and two persons were lightly injured. The police reported seven injuries, but they were mainly in a state of shock.
Heller of the Magen David Adom medical service said, “An earlier police report had said seven people were injured, but they were mainly in a state of shock”.
In a statement, the army stated, “An initial inquiry showed that the explosion was caused by the falling of an aerial target”.
“No sirens were activated”, the army continued, adding that the air force had increased its air patrols to protect Israeli airspace.
“Police discovered a body with shrapnel injuries in the building, which is located on the corner of Ben-Yehuda Avenue and Shalom-Aleichem Street, near the US Embassy’s annexe in Israel”, spokesperson Dean Elsdunne said.
Tel Aviv police commander, Peretz Amar, stated, “It may have been an aerial explosion… We were very lucky”.
He went on to say, “An investigation was ongoing”.
In a statement, police said, “The police, along with emergency and rescue forces, discovered a man in his 50s in a nearby building who was found dead in his apartment, with shrapnel wounds on his body”.
“Another 10 people with minor injuries were taken for medical treatment”, the statement reads.
“Police and bomb disposal units were dispatched to the location to search for suspicious objects and additional threats”, the statement continued.
“Residents were urged to respect safety instructions and not to approach or touch debris or shrapnel that may contain explosives”, the statement added.
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