A woman in her 30's was killed in a fire in an illegally built, makeshift apartment in the parking lot of a building in Jerusalem near the Malha Mall on Wednesday.
An initial investigation found that the fire started after a pile of clothing was intentionally set on fire in the middle of the apartment.
Commander of the Jerusalem District Fire and Rescue Services, Nissim Twito, described the incident as part of a "common and disturbing phenomenon of converting parking lots and storerooms into makeshift residential apartments that are death traps due to a lack of openings to release heat and smoke and a lack of fire protection and safety measures and a makeshift electrical system."
Four firefighting teams worked to bring the fire under control and found the woman trapped in the building in serious condition. She was transferred to Magen David Adom for further treatment, but paramedics were forced to declare her death.
"When we arrived to the scene, we joined with firefighting forces that were working the scene. During searches in the apartment, an unconscious woman was found suffering from burns and smoke inhalation. She showed no signs of life and we were forced to declare her death," said Magen David Adom paramedic Dudi Gur.The Jerusalem Municipality stated that it was not aware of the illegal structure and had not received complaints about the structure before the fire, according to Army Radio. The municipality promised that city inspectors would increase enforcement on the issue.