A special memorial ceremony was held last night at what used to be the Versailles Banquet hall. The move came after police and IDF Home Front command officials concluded that no more victims were buried beneath the wreckage. Officials said that another consideration was that the remains of the structure had become significantly weakened, potentially endangering rescue teams. Heads of IDF Home Front Command, government ministers, and Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert attended the memorial gathering. A common thread running through their respective speeches was praise for the quick and professional response of soldiers and Magen David Adom ambulance teams. Many heroic civilians reportedly rushed to the scene to help extricate injured wedding guests from the rubble.
The death toll of the banquet hall collapse stands at 23; some 350 people were injured. Directors of various Jerusalem hospitals told Army Radio this morning that several of the victims require a second operation to rectify mostly orthopedic-related injuries. The ill-fated hall often held simultaneous weddings on its second floor; a greater tragedy was apparently averted by the fact that no other wedding was taking place there on Thursday night.
The depth of the tragedy was accentuated by the deaths of husband and wife Rafi and Chana Menashe of Jerusalem; they left four orphans. Miri Srur and her two sons - Moshe and Eli\'or - were also killed in the building collapse. The bodies of Vicki Cohen and Mordechai Butin - a couple that had a June wedding planned - were also found in the wreckage. Seven of the victims will be buried today.
Police have extended the custody of seven persons associated with the design, renovations, and operation of the Versailles banquet hall. During the renovations, support beams were reportedly removed from the building. A serious \"crackdown\" is set to begin on businesses that run facilities that fall short of accepted building standards. City officials said last night that all illegal buildings in Jerusalem would be closed, and that no exceptions would be made.
The death toll of the banquet hall collapse stands at 23; some 350 people were injured. Directors of various Jerusalem hospitals told Army Radio this morning that several of the victims require a second operation to rectify mostly orthopedic-related injuries. The ill-fated hall often held simultaneous weddings on its second floor; a greater tragedy was apparently averted by the fact that no other wedding was taking place there on Thursday night.
The depth of the tragedy was accentuated by the deaths of husband and wife Rafi and Chana Menashe of Jerusalem; they left four orphans. Miri Srur and her two sons - Moshe and Eli\'or - were also killed in the building collapse. The bodies of Vicki Cohen and Mordechai Butin - a couple that had a June wedding planned - were also found in the wreckage. Seven of the victims will be buried today.
Police have extended the custody of seven persons associated with the design, renovations, and operation of the Versailles banquet hall. During the renovations, support beams were reportedly removed from the building. A serious \"crackdown\" is set to begin on businesses that run facilities that fall short of accepted building standards. City officials said last night that all illegal buildings in Jerusalem would be closed, and that no exceptions would be made.