JERUSALEM (VINnews) — BDE: Rescue forces announced on Monday that after a heroic and complex search that lasted nearly 18-hours, the four individuals missing after a missile struck a building in Haifa on Sunday have been found dead.

The four victims are parents, their son, and his partner, who were killed when the building collapsed due to a direct hit by an Iranian ballistic missile.

Firefighters from the Haifa Station, with the elite Lehava Rescue Unit and soldiers from the IDF Home Front Command, worked throughout the night and morning under impossible conditions. The forces used advanced technological tools, including precise cellular locations, in an attempt to find signs of life under the heavy layers of concrete.

Home Front Command Chief, Major General Shai Klapper, who arrived at the tragic scene, expressed deep concern and said, “This is an extremely complex site, and there is serious concern for the lives of the missing. We are operating with extreme caution due to the significant engineering and security challenges.”

The main difficulty at the site stemmed from the fear that part of the missile, which penetrated the building and caused the collapse of three floors, did not detonate. Engineering teams cleared nearby tree-lined avenues to allow heavy machinery access, but the slippery slope on which the building stands made it difficult to reach the impact point safely.

To overcome the danger, Home Front Command soldiers and rescue teams constructed a special “tunnel” using extensive rescue equipment, with the goal of reaching the missing individuals without causing further collapse or triggering any remaining explosives that may still be present.

A cellphone belonging to one of the four missing people was located inside the site, which has focused the search efforts on a specific spot amid the concrete rubble. The son, a resident of Herzliya, was not answering calls, and the family’s vehicles were found in a nearby parking lot, strengthening the assessment that they were inside the house at the moment of impact.

In the first minutes after the strike, an approximately 82-year-old man who was seriously injured and a toddler who sustained light injuries were evacuated from the scene. Additionally, several people are being treated for shock.

MDA Senior EMT Shevach Rothenshtrych reported from the scene: “When we arrived at the street, we saw a multi-story building that had been hit, with extensive destruction at the scene. Residents who were there told us there were casualties trapped under the rubble on the lower floors. We managed to move large pieces of concrete with our hands and rescued an 82-year-old man from the debris, who was in serious condition but conscious. We provided him with initial treatment at the scene and evacuated him to the hospital in an MDA mobile intensive care unit ambulance while in serious condition. Large MDA teams at the scene are providing medical treatment to several people in mild condition and are prepared to provide medical care to additional casualties if they are located during the searches”

MDA Paramedic Lamas Salameh added, “This is a 7-story building that sustained a direct hit, causing extensive damage. We arrived at the scene with large MDA teams, including ambulances, mobile intensive care units, and MDA medicycles, and began searching the scenes. During the searches, we located an 83-year-old casualty in serious condition who was injured by the destruction. In addition, we treated 3 other casualties in mild condition, as well as several people suffering from anxiety symptoms. We are continuing to search the scenes to ensure there are no additional casualties and will remain on site as required.”

MDA Senior EMT, Tal Shustak, recounted, “Immediately upon receiving the reports at MDA’s emergency dispatch center about a building being hit, we were dispatched in large forces to the scene and saw extensive destruction, including glass, smoke, and concrete scattered across the ground. We rescued an 82-year-old man from the building’s rubble who was in serious condition after being struck by debris. We provided him with medical treatment and evacuated him to the hospital. In addition, we treated three people in mild condition – a 77-year-old woman, a 38-year-old woman, and a 10-month-old baby who suffered a head injury. They were injured by shrapnel, and we provided them with medical treatment. We also treated several people suffering from anxiety symptoms at the scene, and we are continuing to search the area.”