The government decided today to establish a national commission of inquiry to investigate the Versailles wedding hall collapse. The commission will also have a mandate to investigate the state of other public buildings throughout the country. The police have asked the Jerusalem municipality to cease its own internal investigation of the Versailles tragedy, and the permits that were or were not given for the renovations carried out there over the past several years. Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert refuses to call off the inquiry, however.
The Pal-Kal ceiling of the Versailles wedding hall, under which three floors collapsed this past Thursday night, remained standing until last night, when it itself fell. No one was hurt. The Local Government Center has instructed all municipalities to carry out a comprehensive check of all buildings that use the Pal-Kal construction method. This is an Israeli-patented method that was ruled unacceptable by the Interior Ministry in 1996. However, many existing buildings were built with this method before 1996, and some were built afterwards. The Israel Construction Center reports that there are some 6,500 buildings in Israel whose floors are built partially or completely with Pal-Kal.
Pal-Kal supporters say that no ceiling could have withstood the damage that was caused by the removal of supporting pillars from the Versailles hall. This charge is also being investigated.
The Pal-Kal ceiling of the Versailles wedding hall, under which three floors collapsed this past Thursday night, remained standing until last night, when it itself fell. No one was hurt. The Local Government Center has instructed all municipalities to carry out a comprehensive check of all buildings that use the Pal-Kal construction method. This is an Israeli-patented method that was ruled unacceptable by the Interior Ministry in 1996. However, many existing buildings were built with this method before 1996, and some were built afterwards. The Israel Construction Center reports that there are some 6,500 buildings in Israel whose floors are built partially or completely with Pal-Kal.
Pal-Kal supporters say that no ceiling could have withstood the damage that was caused by the removal of supporting pillars from the Versailles hall. This charge is also being investigated.