Fire fighters battle the flames on the 14th floor of the Shalom Meir Tower, one of Tel Aviv's landmark buildings and the first tall building in the Middle East ; traffic blocked off for hours.


Published 17.11.10

Four people were lightly hurt on Wednesday after a fire ripped through the top floors of one of Tel Aviv's landmark buildings, the Shalom Meir Tower.

Tel Aviv fire fighters were dispatched to the burning building in a bid to extinguish the flames, which began around the 14th floor. All workers there were evacuated and rescue forces searched the building to make sure nobody was trapped.

Police have blocked off the area in downtown Tel Aviv and traffic has been directed to take detours.

The Shalom Meir Tower was completed in 1965 on the site of one of Tel Aviv's first schools, the Gymnasium. At the time of its construction, the 34 story building was Israel's first skyscraper and was considered the tallest building in the Middle East.

In recent years, the tower has lost its prestige and has become an office building. However it is still considered a milestone in the city's history and one of the monuments most identified with Tel Aviv.




http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/four-lightly-hurt-as-blaze-rips-through-landmark-tel-aviv-building-1.325216

http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3986327,00.html

http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3986199,00.html

http://news.walla.co.il/?w=//1756910