Deaths in Israeli coastal city blast
At least four people killed and 30 injured in suspected gas explosion in building in the coastal city of Netanya.
An explosion in the Israeli town of Netanya, north of Tel Aviv, has killed four people and injured 30, Israeli police officials say.
But the late hour of the explosion and the location appeared to indicate that Friday's blast was an accident.
"There was an explosion in a four-storey building in Netanya, and several people were hurt," Micky Rosenfeld, an Israeli police spokesman, told the AFP news agency.
Rosenfeld said the blast, which occurred in a residential building on Independence Square in the town centre early on Friday, appeared to be a result of a gas cylinder exploding. Many people use tanks of gas for cooking fuel.
But he said police were still investigating the explosion to "confirm that it wasn't the result of a terrorism incident".
Al Jazeera's Cal Perry, reporting from the site of the blast, said: "This was a very large explosion causing a lot of damage.
"It looks like the entire front of the building has been blown off.
"There are two groups on the ground right now: MDA taking care of the wounded and then Search and Rescue is also deployed.
"We understand that some of the buidlings nearby were also damaged and police are concerned about neighbouring buildings coming down."
Dozens of residents were buried under the rubble and cranes were trying to get them out, witnesses said.
There was a strong smell of gas hanging over the debris and dozens of ambulances were sent to the scene.
Though a gas canister was the suspected cause of the blast, police did not rule out the hypothesis of a criminal attack.
Netanya has been struck before by suicide bombers and other attacks. The city has a history of settling of scores by the Israeli underworld.
Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
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