Gaza airdrop tragedy: Parachute malfunction kills 5, 10 injured
PTC News Desk: In a tragic turn of events, a humanitarian airdrop in northern Gaza resulted in five fatalities and 10 injuries, as reported by a medic at Gaza's main hospital. The casualties were swiftly transported to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City for urgent medical attention.
According to eyewitness accounts, the parachute carrying aid failed to deploy properly, plummeting like a rocket onto the roof of a residential building near the Al-Shati refugee camp. Mohammed al-Ghoul, a witness, recounted the harrowing scene, describing how the aid package, initially anticipated to be a bag of flour, turned into a calamitous incident claiming lives and causing injuries.
Although airdrops by countries such as the United States and Jordan have aimed to provide relief to the beleaguered population in northern Gaza, this unfortunate incident underscores the challenges and risks associated with such operations. While a Jordanian military source clarified that their aircraft were not involved in the fatal drop, Hamas-run Gaza authorities criticized airdrops as ineffective and advocated for alternative means of aid delivery.
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Amidst calls for increased land deliveries to Gaza through additional border crossings, the United Nations has emphasised the inadequacy of airdrops or maritime aid corridors as substitutes for essential humanitarian assistance. The incident serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need for coordinated and effective relief efforts to alleviate the suffering of Gaza's population enduring prolonged conflict and dire living conditions.
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(Inputs from agencies)
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