A fire broke out Saturday in an underground parking garage at the construction site of the future BIG shopping complex in Petah Tikva, sending thick smoke across the surrounding area.
Heavy smoke rose near the intersection of Jabotinsky and Moshe Dayan streets and spread across a wide area, including toward residential towers in the nearby Neve Gan neighborhood.
Fire and rescue crews from the Petah Tikva station were dispatched to the scene following reports of the blaze and large amounts of smoke. Police officers also arrived at the scene. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
The Israel Fire and Rescue Authority said the fire originated in the underground parking garage at the construction site of the future BIG complex. Plastic materials and pipes were stored in the area where the fire broke out, producing large amounts of smoke that spread from the construction site into the surrounding area.
Firefighters are working to extinguish the flames while also locating the source of the blaze and ventilating the underground parking garage. The circumstances of the fire have not yet been determined and are under investigation.
The thick smoke could be seen from a considerable distance and covered a large area, with some of it drifting toward nearby residential towers in Neveh Gan.
The Israel Fire and Rescue Authority said operations at the scene were continuing and that further updates would be provided as the situation develops.
Bus catches fire on Highway 7, road closed to eastbound traffic
Later on Saturday, a bus caught fire on Highway 7 near the Beit Raban Interchange, closing the road to eastbound traffic.
The Israel Police have asked drivers to avoid the area as firefighters work to extinguish the blaze, which is not known to have caused any injuries.