title: KAMEDO report no. 85: collapse of building during wedding reception in Jerusalem, 2001.
abstract: What is now known as the "Versailles Disaster" began as a wedding celebration in Jerusalem on 24 May 2001. The reception was held in the third floor banqueting hall of a hotel, the floor of which subsequently collapsed, crashing through the second and first floors of the building. Four hundred people fell with the floor, and 310 injured people were evacuated using the scoop-and-run principle. The total number of dead was 23, which was less than might have been expected. Israel's on-site disaster management system of giving control to the first paramedic on the scene appeared to work well; however, the other emergency services did not act in coordination with the paramedics. The hospitals managed patients efficiently and social workers were mobilized quickly to assist people experiencing psychological trauma.
authors.forename: Per-Plof
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sylvan
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brändström
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Magnusson
mesh_terms: D000846:Anniversaries and Special Events; D004190:Disasters; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D018635:Rescue Work; D014947:Wounds and Injuries