Fire dept: Chinese workers at risk

Fire-fighters who arrived at the scene were dismayed to discover that the building lacked any fire extinguishing equipment.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
Dozens of Chinese workers brought in to Haifa to build the $1 billion Carmel Tunnels project are in immediate danger of being trapped in a fire in the building that has been converted to house them for the next two years, reports Yediot Haifa. Haifa's fire safety services have asked the city and the Carmelton building company to close down the building unless fire safety measures are taken immediately. According to the report, the formerly commercial building was converted to housing for the dozens of Chinese workers building the massive tunnels. A fire broke out there on February 6 and fire-fighters who arrived at the scene were dismayed to discover that the building had been divided internally by plaster walls, lacked any fire extinguishing equipment, and did not have any emergency exits. They demanded that the building be made safe immediately, or that the workers be evacuated. The city responded that the building has been declared safe by an engineer specializing in dangerous buildings, but said it would now demand that it meet the requirements of the fire safety services.