The ballistic missile strike in Haifa on Sunday evening became one of the most complex and dangerous incidents the city has faced in recent times. The main focus of the security and rescue forces is split between two critical fronts: the race against time to locate four missing people, and the dangerous engineering and bomb disposal operation to dismantle a warhead weighing about 450 kilograms that may not have fully detonated.
Currently, two of the four people trapped inside the building were pulled out dead.
The Iranian missile directly struck a terraced five-story residential building. The force of the impact was concentrated on the lower floor, which absorbed the full kinetic energy of the missile. As a result, the structure sustained catastrophic damage. The building's balconies collapsed one after another due to the blast and the damage to the frame. A major fire broke out at the scene, complicating the initial rescue efforts. Municipal and military engineers who arrived at the site warned that the building was unstable, leading to a decision to immediately evacuate its residents and potentially evacuate two nearby buildings as well.
At the heart of the tragedy is one family whose fate remains unknown at this time. Fire and rescue teams, assisted by special units, are combing through the debris in search of a pair of parents, their son and another person, apparently the son's partner.
