Rescue crews had to use scuba gear to reach the elevator and pull out the pair. Harari was rushed to Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv in critical condition, suffering from hypothermia. Doctors attempted to revive her but were forced to declare her dead.

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Paramedics attempted to resuscitate Shoshani at the scene, then evacuated him to the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer for further treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The downpour intensified in the afternoon and caused flooding in areas across the coastal city of Tel Aviv, forcing road closures and stoking fears of additional deaths.

Shoshani and Harari will be laid to rest in adjacent graves.

The scene of the elevator accident in south Tel Aviv

Video: Avi Cohen

"We had our Dean for 25 years and now we are giving him back," said Shoshani's father, weeping. "The police and the fire department have spoken with us. Welfare workers from the city have been here," the father said.

Harari's brother Amit left a Facebook post mourning his sister in which he wrote, "My big sister, the light of the family, the prettiest girl in kindergarten. I don't believe I'm waking up to a morning without you. It's not easy to take it, it's a tragedy for the whole family … I'm broken without you. I miss you," Harari wrote.

Although the horrific accident took place on Saturday afternoon, no response from the city was forthcoming until Saturday night, when Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai put out a short message that stated, "I want to offer my condolences to the families of the two [city] residents who were killed today."

Local resident Shoshana Cohen, 71, who lives near the building where Shoshani and Harari met their deaths, said Sunday that "It hurts to know that two young kids lost their lives in such a tragic death. The infrastructure here in the area is really bad, and we here in the south of the city are second-class citizens. But why do these sweet kids have to die because of that?"

The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality said the accident was under investigation.

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On Friday morning, search and rescue teams located the body of a teen who was swept away in Yarka Creek on Thursday.

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Omri Abu-Najab, 14, had reportedly tried to cross the swollen creek in an all-terrain vehicle. A 23-year-old man who was with him managed to fight his way out of the rushing water.

Video: Hof District Search and Rescue Services

Video: Search and rescue workers look for Omri Abu-Najab on Thursday

On Thursday, a man who was swept away in Tzalmon Creek and was found in critical condition was pronounced dead at Rebecca Sieff Hospital in Safed.

According to the man's relatives, he had gone out to shut the gate to the family's goat pen. When he failed to return, the family notified the police, who began searches and eventually found him by the creek.

The rain this week brought the heaviest single-day rainfall in northern Israel since records have been kept. As of Thursday evening, the Sea of Galilee had risen 8.5 cm (3.3 inches), mostly as a result of a downpour that dropped some 65 mm (2.5 inches) of rain.

The northern Golan Heights saw 150 mm (5.9 inches) of rain, which increased the water levels and flow in the Jordan River and in the creeks on the Golan Heights.

Which region got the most rain? As of Thursday evening, it was the western Galilee, which was drenched with nearly 200 mm (7.87 inches) of rain. Swells were reported in the Hilazon and Beit Ha'emek creeks.

The Sharon region, northeast of Tel Aviv, saw over 100 mm (3.9 inches) of rain, which caused the Hadera and Alexander creeks to swell.

According to the Israel Meteorological Service, the current storm, which started on Dec. 25, has dropped the most rain ever seen in northern Israel in a single day.

"The heavy rain that fell in northern Israel wiped out the deficit that had existed," said meteorologist Lior Sudri of the company Meteo-Tech.

"Before the storm started, the total rainfall had been about half the average for this time of year. Now the amount of rain is close to the average, and has even surpassed it in some places," Sudari said.

Snowfall was reported on Mount Hermon, with accumulation of 7.9 inches on the lower slopes and 15.7 inches on the upper. The Mount Hermon ski facilities were shut due to the storm.

Elsewhere on Thursday, a commercial vessel that was supposed to dock at the Ashdod Port was driven off course by the storm and went aground on the beach south of the port. No injuries were reported.

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