Government Report Says 1,124 Buildings In Northeast Israel Could Collapse In Earthquake

According to an Israeli government analysis made public on Tuesday, 93% of all the buildings in northeastern Israeli cities awaiting reinforcement could collapse if an earthquake of sufficient severity occurs.

The State Comptroller’s Report indicated that the five cities of Beit She’an, Tiberias, Safed, Kiryat Shmona, and Hazor Hagalilit had not prepared enough for an earthquake scenario.

Only 84 (7%) of the 1,208 structures that needed reinforcement had been done, although the Ministry of Building and Housing has set aside money for the project.

According to the research, “at the current rate, it would take decades to complete the reinforcing of all the residential buildings,” where there is an “immediate and concrete danger” that they will collapse if an earthquake with adequate force strikes.

Three of the four bridges leading to the Beit She’an are anticipated to collapse, making it difficult to reach the communities in issue during an earthquake.

It was decided that Tiberias, Safed, Kiryat Shmona, and Hazor Hagalilit would also be shut off.

Following the Feb. 6 earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which were accompanied by hundreds of aftershocks and killed an estimated 48,440 people in the former country and 7,250 in the latter, Israel has hurriedly improved its earthquake preparedness.

The World Health Organization has called this disaster the region’s worst natural disaster in a century.

Tzachi Hanegbi, the head of Israel’s National Security Council, was instructed to “update and reiterate the steps we need to take” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman encouraged the government not to wait, saying the string of fatal earthquakes in the area should be considered a warning.

The Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee called for an emergency meeting.

Experts have emphasized the inadequacy of Israel’s earthquake readiness. A big earthquake may cause 7,000 fatalities and evict 170,000 people, according to a 2018 assessment by the former comptroller.

According to a report from the previous year, 600,000 buildings nationwide do not adhere to earthquake resistance requirements.

Israel lies along the Great Rift Valley, an active geological fault line that poses several considerable risks to the region, including frequent small earthquakes and the possibility of more severe seismic events.

A significant earthquake has historically occurred in Israel roughly every 100 years. The nation last had a powerful earthquake in 1927.

This 6.2-magnitude earthquake caused 284 fatalities and 940 injuries. The northern Dead Sea region served as the epicenter. Damage to Jerusalem, Jericho, Ramla, Tiberias, and Nablus was severe.