Fire rages for some 10 hours underneath construction site at Petah Tikva mall

Michael Horovitz is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel

A fire raged for around ten hours at an underground parking lot at a construction site in Petah Tikva from late Saturday until the early hours of Sunday, according to Fire and Rescue Services.

The blaze was located within the Big Shopping Center complex in the city, where various materials such as plastics, wood, pipes, and paint were stored, increasing the ferocity of the inferno as firefighters attempted to bring it under control.

The first report of the blaze was received by firefighters at 4 p.m on Saturday afternoon.

Since the fire erupted over Shabbat, there were no construction workers at the site, and nobody was reported injured.

Authorities instructed the public to remain clear of the area and closed roads in the immediate area.

After nearly ten hours of efforts, Fire and Rescue Services said the blaze was under control, and firefighters were scanning the complex to ensure it was extinguished.

A probe is underway to determine the cause of the inferno.

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