Four killed in Gaza after sand embankment collapses onto tents following heavy rain

Four displaced people, including three children, were killed when a sand embankment collapsed onto tents in central Gaza after heavy rain, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The incident happened on Sunday night at a camp for displaced families south of Deir al-Balah. Five injured people were also reportedly rescued from beneath sand, rubble and collapsed tents.

The Civil Defence service said the collapse came a day after torrential rain flooded tens of thousands of tents across Gaza. It said water levels reached up to 1.5 metres in some places and that its first responders were able to respond to only 10% of the 2,100 distress calls they received. The service initially said three children and two women had died, but the health ministry later said the dead were one woman and three children.

The woman was identified as Tahrir Nabhan, while the children were named as Mariam Nabhan, her brother Salah, and Habiba al-Zein. Rescuers said they used their bare hands to dig victims and survivors out of the sand and rubble. One rescuer said the mound was large and difficult to remove, and that camp residents joined the effort to pull people from the collapsed area.

The collapse adds to the humanitarian strain in Gaza, where many displaced families are living in tents and other temporary shelters. Civil Defence said the incident should prompt urgent action by international organisations to provide safer shelter and to move tents away from sandy areas, slopes and other locations at risk of collapse. Its warning reflects wider concerns about the safety of makeshift accommodation during periods of heavy rain and flooding.

The flooding and collapse come against the backdrop of a prolonged displacement crisis in Gaza, where large numbers of people have been forced into temporary camps. The latest incident also highlights the limits on emergency response capacity, with Civil Defence saying it could not answer most of the distress calls it received during the storm. The combination of unstable ground, severe weather and overcrowded shelters has increased the risk to families already living in difficult conditions.

It remains unclear how many people were in the affected tents at the time of the collapse and whether more injuries may be confirmed later. The health ministry and Civil Defence have given slightly different initial death tolls, underlining the uncertainty that can follow fast-moving emergencies. Further updates are likely as rescue teams and local officials assess the site and the condition of those injured.

#Gaza #DeiralBalah #sandembankment #displacedfamilies #heavyrain