Jerusalem has been hit by another tragedy, following the gas explosion in Gilo on Sunday night that killed a young couple and their baby son. A family with young children was apparently exposed to pesticide in their apartment in Givat Mordechai on Wednesday, and as a result their infant daughter died.
Medics and Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics administered first aid upon arriving at the scene, evacuated the poisoned 30-year-old parents and their 4 children to Shaarei Tzedek Hospital.
The 2 year old girl's death was pronounced at the hospital. Another 4-year-old girl was in critical condition; two sons aged 6 and 8 were in severe condition, while the parents were in light to moderate condition.
Jerusalem police and members of the Office of Environmental Quality began investigations regarding the poisoning. It is suspected that a pesticide sprayed in their apartment 2 days prior to the incident may have caused the tragedy. The exterminator who worked on their apartment has been arrested.
Senior MDA medic Shmulik David, who was the first to arrive, recalls: "When I went into the apartment I saw an unconscious 4-year-old girl lying on the floor in the room, not breathing and with no pulse. We immediately started giving medical treatment and advanced resuscitation, as other MDA forces arrived."
"In the adjacent room another member of the family called us, saying there were other children that felt unwell; we spread out and...found in the next room a 2-year-old baby girl in semi-consciousness, whose condition deteriorated quickly, along with two semi-conscious children aged 8 and 6," adds David.
While continue medical treatment the children, together with their mother, were brought to the nearby hospital.
Yisrael Cohen, an MDA paramedic, tells "in the living room a 2-year-old baby was lying on the floor unconscious, not breathing and without a pulse." Cohen recalls giving her treatment while others search the apartment's rooms and treated the other children.
"We evacuated her to the trauma room of Shaare Tzedek Hospital while continuing resuscitation, and there the medical efforts to save her life continued over a long hour," notes Cohen.
Flash 90 and News 24