Israeli fireworks factory EXPLODES in furious blaze – at least two dead
AT LEAST two people have been killed and five injured in a furious blaze at a fireworks warehouse in central Israel on Tuesday, police said.
Shocking moment Israeli fireworks factory catches fire
Video footage from the scene showed the dramatic moment as thousands of fireworks erupted in rapid succession.
Two locals aged 17 and 24 were killed in the blast, while two more were hospitalised.
The roof of the warehouse was ripped off amid the flurry of explosions and nearby buildings were damaged in Porat, an agricultural community near Netanya.
The roof of the warehouse was ripped off
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that of the five injured, one was in serious condition.
Forensic units are scouring the area for evidence in a bid to understand how the blaze began and to search for others who may have been trapped at the scene.
It comes as Britain is ready to send a member of the Royal Family on a first official visit to Israel later this year after decades of snubbing invitations.
Nearby buildings were damaged in Porat
Forensic units are scouring the area
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is understood to be keen for a royal visit to take place to mark the centenary of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, when Britain signalled its support for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in what was then Ottoman-ruled Palestine.
Israel's President Reuven Rivlin extended the invitation for a royal visit during a meeting with Mr Johnson in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Theresa May has already invited Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Britain to mark the centenary of the then foreign secretary Arthur Balfour's support for a Jewish homeland.
One person is still missing following the blast
At his meeting with Mr Johnson this week, President Rivlin said: "This is a very important year in the history of the relations between Israel and the United Kingdom.
"We will mark 100 years since the Balfour Declaration and I am greatly honoured to extend an official invitation to the Royal Family to visit Israel to mark this event."