aftermath of Beitar Illit fire
aftermath of Beitar Illit fireAharon Koren/Flash 90

The city of Beitar Illit was shaken to its core when two small children were killed in a fire in a residential building Tuesday night.

Although the cause of the fire is still unclear, an eyewitness who was present said that a night lamp fell on the children's bed and caused the fire to spread quickly. "We smelled a thick smell of smoke, opened the door, and saw that the smoke was coming from the apartment next door," said neighbor Itzik. "My wife took one of the girls and brought her upstairs, another neighbor managed to enter the apartment despite the thick smoke and rescued two other children."

Three children from the Ginzburg family were rescued thanks to the quick intervention of their neighbors, but two-year-old Zvi Ginzburg and his five-year-old sister Efrat perished in the blaze. Seven other people were injured.

A volunteer for the "Hatzala" organization, Haim Rotter, said, "If the neighbors and the volunteers of the organization would not have come to the place, more people would have lost their lives.

When the dust had settled, the Ginzburg family had lost two of their children as well as their home and nearly all of their belongings.

Kupat Ha'ir has set up a fund to help the family rebuild their lives. "Join us in giving some comfort and security for the family," the organization wrote.

Click here to donate