The Versailles Wedding Hall Disaster | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

"On the 24th of May, 2001, around 700 people gathered at the prestigious Versailles Wedding Hall in Jerusalem to celebrate the marriage of Keren and Asaf Dror..."
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:36 - Background
03:52 - The Versailles Wedding Hall Collapse
06:43 - The Aftermath
MUSIC:
► "Glass Pond" by Public Memory
► "Emotional Aftermath" by Doug Maxwell/Media Right Productions
SOURCES:
► "State to pay NIS 120m to victims of Jerusalem hall collapse" by Sue Surkes, published by The Times of Israel, September 2016. Link: www.timesofisrael.com/state-t....
► "Wedding hall collapse kills at least 15" by Suzanne Goldenberg, published by The Guardian, May 2001. Link: www.theguardian.com/world/200....
► "Serene Wedding Fest, Then a Pit of Death" by Tracy Wilkinson, published by The LA Times, May 2001. Link: www.latimes.com/archives/la-x....
► "Waiting for the Floor to Collapse" by Raz Smolsky, published by Haaretz, May 2011. Link: www.haaretz.com/2011-05-23/ty....
► "Courage of the survivors" published by BBC News, May 2001. Link: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/midd....
​​​​​​​#Documentary​​​​ #History​​​​​​​​​ #TrueStories​

[@FascinatingHorror]

If you want another angle on this particular disaster, check out the videos by my friends Brick Immortar (kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIPdm2yYbMSHrJo) and Disasterthon (kzbin.info/www/bejne/emqye3iGe610h7c). Both offer a unique and different take on a really complex accident!

[@wyomingadventures]

I'm so glad there's channels like you guys. Otherwise we wouldn't know about all these incidents. Appreciate all of your channels! If I had money I would support all of you. Unfortunately I back and knee surgeries from a accident myself.

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

Cheers man!!❤️

[@DisasterthonTrueHorror]

@@wyomingadventures FH has really helped out my channel over the years

[@aluvrianne]

Just wanted to say thank you for turning me on to Brick Immortar via your Algo Centre Mall video. You compliment one another quite well.

[@mustangmike4078]

You should have shown a quick clip of the collapse.

[@borderlineiq]

The idea that anyone was allowed to level a sagging floor by pouring filler, when the floor was not at ground level, is unimaginable. So many people died for nothing.

[@ethribin4188]

Yeah. This is the most criminaly stupid action of the entire situation. Even more stupid then removing supportive walls

[@Aiviymatoc]

but isnt it obvious? if something cant bear the load, just add more load. problem solved

[@henryturnerjr3857]

So they only calculated the building to support itself and not the contents or people. My immediate thought was good thing it doesn't SNOW in Israel!

[@borderlineiq]

@@henryturnerjr3857 That was true only of the section above the two-story wing that was not supposed to have a third story. The additional fail was allowing anyone to remove bearing walls. This tragedy was a cluster of errors, all due to no adherence to change control of the design. How this could be allowed is horrific. The sentences were too light for so many dead.

[@magiv4205]

@@ethribin4188 I can't really fault the owners for removing the supportive walls, as much as it was a factor in the collapse. The initial building had been constructed without taking their stabilizing properties into account, so in theory, if the rest of the building was constructed properly, as they thought it was, the support these walls provided should only have been a bonus, not a necessity. The filling, though!? Absolutely criminal.

[@zazapackbussin]

it kinda sucks that the main engineer got 4 years but the owners who knocked down the supporting walls, which is what ultimately led to the collapse, got less time. *ESPECIALLY* the idiot that filled the floor with filler, they should have gotten WAY more time

[@lwalker8785]

@@Arkylie That doesn't change the fact that the building was standing until some idiot decided to knock out all the internal walls.

[@paulcooper8818]

@@Arkylie Hey the floor is suddenly sagging, better call an engineer to inspect it! Nah, I know a guy who can fill it for cheap.

[@sourgreendolly7685]

The main engineer should’ve gotten more, he knew better. The owners should’ve got worse punishment for sure, but engineers are educated specifically to avoid dangerous building situations exactly like this.

[@maxmccullough8548]

@@Arkylie filler guy knew he wasnt on the first floor, he poured heavy filler on a weakened sagging floor , dude deserved to be put under the jail

[@maxmccullough8548]

@@Arkylie stupidity is not and should not be an excuse when people die. Perhaps before taking an action that results in twenty something deaths, the onus is on you to research possible consequences. If anything incompetent oxygen thieves like you are describing should be punished *more* harshly as they don't even being any benefit to society to counteract the massive resource drain that keeping them alive entails.

[@boondocksdragon8959]

Despite the momentous horror of this event, can we all agree that it's miraculous that only 23 were killed? Just seeing the footage, I would've expected many more to lose their lives. What a horrific, unnecessary tragedy.

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

It was not a large hall, and probably on a Sunday, with few workers on the other floors.

[@borderlineiq]

If there had been other events in progres on the lower floors, there would have been. As it was, they underwent a series of falls, not one unbroken drop of four floors.

[@theladyinblack3055]

Absolutely agreed!! Only 23 dead out of 700 guests is definitely miraculous!! I’m stunned, however, that anyone would think that levelling a sagging floor is an acceptable fix! What were they thinking?? Even I know better than that and I’ve never had any experience beyond watching DIY and renovation shows!

[@kathyjones1576]

Yes, I thought that too. When 400 people fell, that really is a very small percentage. Although nobody should have lost their lives, it could have been so much worse.

[@00poopmonster]

exactly what i was thinking. when he said a couple hundred people fell, i thought most of them would have died, especially considering they fell about 2 stories with rubble falling on/with them.

[@ZombieSazza]

The footage from the wedding is horrifying, one minute everyone’s happy, dancing, having the time of their lives, and the next the floor has collapsed, they’re screaming, people are dying, it’s just horrible. The married couples wedding is a constant reminder of the disaster that happened on their wedding day, and the day they lost 23 friends and family in one day, I cannot comprehend that kind of loss. I hope they’re coping okay in life.

[@Frenchblue8]

Oh my lord, there's footage? Pretty sure I don't want to see that. I'm just amazed frankly that more people were not killed. 23 is 23 too many but it is amazing it wasn't in the hundreds

[@jamieclips8129]

@@Frenchblue8 the footage is crrrazy

[@TooBokoo]

@@Frenchblue8 The footage, itself, isn't so bad. There's really nothing to see, other than the floor sinking and everyone disappearing into a cloud of dust. Of course, the horrifying part is knowing what happened and the end result. It can be found on KZbin, but obviously, it's not a fun watch.

[@4bibimimi]

This is reminiscent of the Surfside condo collapse in Florida. Long worn water damage in this case. Rusty water oozing out of concrete walls. Rebar Steel and cement bindings rotting ready to give way. No dancing, no vibrations, no momentary stressors... It was just time to crumble at the worst time possible: in the middle of the night when they slept.

[@harridan.]

@@4bibimimi wow. well said

[@xavquinlan481]

That footage by the cameraman will always haunt me. One minute, singing and dancing, next minute, falling through the floors. It’s ghastly

[@bigsarge8795]

Agreed. I still remember watching the news footage and i couldn't imagine what those people went through.

[@jodybobble]

Agreed, this has haunted me since seeing it all those years ago. Since then of course, we have seen the explosion of camera footage of disasters but this was one of the first I'd seen and I remember being truly horrified. Great video explanation, without the need for disaster porn.. Bravo. X

[@MsAmber82]

When you can see the seconds before most part of the people failing, you can see i'ts more gradual, making it even more sad

[@henryturnerjr3857]

Yeah that footage was pretty disturbing at the time. The look of horror on those poor people's faces stuck with me.

[@MatthewMS.]

I will never get over 9/11.

[@saladglove]

The most tragic part of this incident is how preventable it was. To those who were meant to inspect all buildings that used pal kal, to the ones that built the building, and to those that owned the building and "filled in" the floor. It was completely preventable at every level. And at every level, the victims were failed and doomed.

[@ojgsk8ter]

Love the AJJ referencing username

[@saladglove]

@@ojgsk8ter Thanks! AJJ is my favorite band!

[@kathryncumberland]

These disasters pretty much always are, unfortunately.

[@v-town1980]

The most tragic part is the 23 dead.

[@kathryncumberland]

@@v-town1980 Made all the more tragic by the fact that they were completely preventable.

[@elennapointer701]

So many of these disasters start the same way: a building is planned and approved, construction starts, and then somebody starts making changes, either to increase profitability or to save on costs elsewhere. A money-man starts tinkering with the plans, an engineer then has to change the plans, and what was once a fully-calculated construction project becomes a hodgepodge of compromises. It only takes one miscalculation by an engineer or architect who's trying his best to accommodate the whims of the customer for disaster to be baked in. And it's never an immediate disaster. It's always years in the making and it's always the innocent who suffer.

[@nevaehhamilton3493]

It should be a crime punishable by jail.

[@olivep]

seriously, if they had just said "no" to the stupid request to add a whole floor above the roof halfway through construction this would not have been an issue at all. the heads of construction and design who gave in to that are just as at fault as the moron that saw the floor in his building was sagging and instead of consulting a building inspector just filled it with concrete to make it look better.

[@rrknl5187]

This happens more than you can imagine...........

[@davidcox3076]

This reminds me a lot of the Hyatt Regency collapse in Kansas City. The skywalks were designed correctly but they were installed incorrectly. It was just a matter of time before they collapsed into the lobby. In that case it would have taken an inspection to find the flaw. In this case the fact that the visibly sagging floor didn't raise red flags is amazing. True negligence.

[@filanfyretracker]

@@olivep when someone says no the building owner finds someone who says yes. That is how that mall in South Korea fell in, The builder with a moral compass said "hell no" to structure altering changes that would compromise integrity. So the owners of the project found someone who would say yes. The only proper fix is better staff at planning and zoning so there is engineers available to review and decide if the permit is still valid based on the changes. With good harsh felony charges for bribing an inspector as well as taking bribes as an inspector. Also a requirement that changes that alter the primary structure of a building need to go back for review.

[@punkybrewstar83]

I had my Orientation yesterday. Lots of crowds of students. Nowadays, I know where the fire exits are, I position myself by that exit, and I am aware of my surroundings. All because I have spent the last two years traumatizing myself watching disaster videos 😂😂😂

[@Unownshipper]

Traumatizing or prepping? We traumatize our muscles all the time, yet we call it "staying fit." It's all how you look at it.

[@zad_rasera]

Well, nothing wrong with some extra precaution, no? You only get one life.

[@leeweesquee]

Smart

[@loricreed]

My ex is a firefighter. My children were taught to be aware of their surroundings, know fire exits and where to meet in an emergency. Only takes a few minutes when you arrive at a hotel, park or arena. We were matter of fact - not to fear but to be smart.

[@borderlineiq]

Tragically here, no amount of awareness could have saved these people. They all trusted their government to regulate construction, builders to follow basic design reviews and tests, and the owners to have performed due diligence. How can people ever be expected to be prepared for the floor to collapse? How?

[@randomjunk1977]

Man I actually felt some relief when you said only 23 people died. Dropping 400+ people through three floors of a building I was kind of expecting a death toll in the triple digits.

[@andyp743]

I wonder how this couple reflects on their wedding day. It's a conversation that surely cant be avoided but must be really tough.

[@Unownshipper]

I'm sure instead that they focus on how happy they are for all the days they've had each other since that moment.

[@MusicoftheDamned]

I honestly wonder if they're still together even though this wasn't there fault, especially since they could have easily split up for reasons beyond the guilt of getting 20+ people they knew killed. (EDIT: To be clearer, I meant "got them killed indirectly" since the couple's wedding was the only reason those unfortunate people were there; the couple is *not* to blame in any way, just the cause of the people being at a place that was built shoddily unknown to them and the other guests.)

[@Dickie6990]

Hey, remember Shmaul? Yeah, he died at our wedding, lol.

[@sourgreendolly7685]

@@MusicoftheDamned I understand they might feel guilt but not sure why you worded it that they got those people killed. They were just using the space, they didn’t do anything to cause it.

[@mattkaustickomments]

@@sourgreendolly7685 But there would be so many “what ifs”. I think it would take years if therapy to accept it wasn’t really their fault.

[@choco_L8]

I remember watching the footage of this on Horror Stories' channel (before it got age-restricted)-"seconds later" is almost an understatement. Seeing the guests drop a few inches then abruptly fall into a huge dark hole was almost literally instant. The fact that the cameraman was standing right on the edge and survived to film it completely was absolutely insane luck.

[@r.j.penfold]

I can't remember where I saw the footage before, it's too long ago for me to fully recall. But I remember my stomach dropping nearly in sync with the floor, and shivers ran down my body. It was horrifying.

[@elliottprice6084]

The owners of the building knew that the building was unsafe and made it even worse. And as ever, in most structural disasters as these, those at fault get off lightly. And to think a similar disaster is likely due to other unsafe buildings in Jerusalem is shocking beyond belief

[@princessmarlena1359]

Sadly, money talks. And it tends to drown out reason and rhyme.

[@P_RO_]

@john hodgson The numbers do not matter; if even just one person dies that should bring forth at least wilful manslaughter charges because if proper procedure had been adhered to this would not have happened.

[@mrimmortal1579]

To be fair, those responsible in this instance were held to a higher degree of accountability, and faced stiffer punishment, than the responsible parties in most of Fascinating Horror’s videos. It’s actually a bit refreshing to see that wealth doesn’t always equate to freedom from responsibility.

[@georginabensley9453]

@john hodgson I assume there weren't many people in the lower floors at the time or yeah, it would have been worse.

[@Jared_Wignall]

Such a terrifying and unfortunate event caught on tape. RIP to those who died in this disaster and great work covering this. Very respectful as always.

[@Kaboomboo]

Fancy seeing you here. What a horrific event.

[@nerdoftheatre]

I had not seen the images of people stranded on support beams. Can't imagine the horror as you stand there, helplessly, watching the chaos below. Being terrified that your area would collapse onto the people helping below.

[@spiritmatter1553]

Seeing that guy stranded and holding a child was heartbreaking.

[@Brooklynlife1000]

Where is the video. I saw the initial collapse

[@elfonzospankenheimer8695]

I was there it was wild LOL deff didn’t go to a wedding for a while after

[@FunkyPlushies19]

@@elfonzospankenheimer8695 Who says "LOL", after experiencing such a traumatic event. Get help.

[@Sven925]

I actually saw footage of the disaster a few years ago. It was honestly terrifying seeing people just suddenly fall and disappear as the floor collapsed

[@nozoto]

I am sure that the traumatized survivors refuse to go to wedding halls not located at the first floor, to this day. In itself, it seems weird to me: for all the weddings I have been on with so many guests, we always partied on the first floor... I guess with so many constraints, a building specifically designed for guest receptions was out of question, and multi purpose buildings were preferred.

[@pundertalefan4391]

I know! It was horrible. Rest in peace, to all who lost their lives that day.

[@melissapowell1841]

One thing that is obvious with all of these collapses: don't add floors midway or after the build without thoroughly inspecting the loads and uses. This seems to be a common thread in these disasters.

[@P_RO_]

That takes time and money, and those who are rich enough to own these buildings think that they shouldn't have to spend any time or money which eats away at their profits.

[@brooksmc]

What haunted me after watching the collapse was the look of Terror on the people that survived the crash, just a few seconds after they realized what just happened. I love that you don't show the disasters on your vids! Well done as always F.H.

[@davidci]

Not sure what got to me the most, the idea of such a happy event turning into a huge tragedy, seeing kids dancing in the footage and knowing they're in the spot that collapsed, or the reactions of everyone looking over the edge after the collapse.

[@pundertalefan4391]

I know, right? It's really haunting.

[@ceciliayus7385]

Honestly I’m amazed more people didn’t die. I’ve seen the footage years ago, and I really thought the death count had to have been much higher. Obviously this doesn’t make things less tragic, but I am glad so many people were able to recover from their injuries.

[@mageovoid9145]

you could consider the impact to be greater than just the immediate death toll. imagine how many of the survivors developed chronic pain, survivor’s guilt, ptsd.

[@FunkyPlushies19]

@@mageovoid9145 I wonder what they saw once they fell.

[@Pacmanfan-po9rn]

Finally covered this disaster, truly horrifying.

[@rileybobbert6527]

with no video

[@hdng1984]

@@rileybobbert6527 The video is easy to find. FH keeps his videos as respectful and dignified as possible, so I imagine this is why he keeps footage videos out of his documentaries (and rightly so)

[@sourgreendolly7685]

@@rileybobbert6527 If you want to watch the video, it’s out there. That’s your prerogative. Personally, I wish I hadn’t seen it years ago and I’m glad he’s not showing it more people. That video is horrifying and heartbreaking and people should be able to learn about this without being subjected to it.

[@galdavonalgerri2101]

In German language we say "Geld frisst Hirn" which is - roughly translated - "money eats brains" and means "greed for profit is greater than common sense".It is about lack of control by the authorities, most likely caused by bribery.Sure, more space in the hall makes more vistors, more visitors make more payment, more payment makes more profit. It is so sad that for many people, greed for profit is more important than humanity and a sense of responsibility

[@shadetreader]

All settler colonialist societies value profits over people.

[@UmatsuObossa]

There's a lot of people who don't understand buildings are build a certain way on purpose and you can't just up and change it

[@borderlineiq]

But those people are not engineers. The designers and buiders of a four story building are not amateurs with hammers and nails. They had building codes and standards to comply with. They did not. It was a crime. They should be punished more than they were.

[@UmatsuObossa]

@@borderlineiq You say that as if you're refuting my point but it doesn't refute it at all.

[@P_RO_]

@@borderlineiq You don't have to be an engineer to know that you do not know, and should seek advice before proceeding. Which is what reasonably intelligent people would do. Ignorance is understandable and can be cured through education, but stupidity has no cure except death. Until we stop making allowances for the stupid society ansd humanity will not become better, but will continue to suffer until we do.

[@borderlineiq]

@@UmatsuObossa No, not a refuting. It is that your statement would apply to those viewing the video, and perhaps even the builders, but the fact remains, ALL engineers understand, as well as building code enforcement officials. The tragedy strongly implies that people were paid off to pass the building or worse yet, never stufied the drawings.

[@Unownshipper]

Dear God, I think this is the first one of these video topics where I actually remember seeing news footage from right after it happened. That image of the man and child atop that lone section of flooring by the column is haunting. How terrifying it must've ben for them. With so many people present, it's actually impressive more weren't killed. Very happy the bride and groom survived.

[@yakacm]

Just noticed your sub count, approaching that 1M mark!!! I remember 1st watching your videos a couple of years back and you only had a fraction of that, well done and well deserved.

[@kathyjones1576]

I found this channel about a year ago. I'm so glad I did. He definitely deserves the subscribers he has.

[@nopewmopan]

I saw the balloon video but didn't remember the channel. When I saw the Kings Island videos I subscribed and watched every video since then. Got some friends and family also watching.

[@amethyst79]

This is one of my biggest “irrational” fears that gives me anxiety attacks. That a floor will collapse under too much weight. Nightclubs, parties, weddings etc set me off when people are all dancing and jumping and to me I can feel the floor bouncing even though it’s probably not. I have to go outside to calm down.

[@BlooferLady86]

I do appreciate this channel's dedication to professionalism and respect. Going through KZbin recommendations, I've seen other "documentaries" that spring horrifying footage of whatever they're covering on you with no warning. Greatly appreciate the work you do.

[@seandelap8587]

It reminds me of those who were trapped in the floors of the world trade centre after it was hit knowing there was no means of escape and just watching hopelessly as the inevitable happened what a terrifying situation to be in.

[@FunkyPlushies19]

I want to search up what happened, but this event already scared me enough so...

[@grapeshot]

Yeah that footage was something else how that hole appeared underneath all those people. And down they went in a cascade of falling bodies. Reminds me in some ways of the condominium collapse in Miami.

[@sister_bertrille911]

Quite a few of these tragedies, I've noticed, are the result of altering the original design plans without doing the proper calculations to accommodate the changes. At least there were some prison sentences for the owners and engineers here.

[@twixxbar07]

Safety regulations and codes are all written in blood.

[@jeepliving1]

I spent many years working in the building trades doing construction and renovation, almost entirely on residential buildings. The process of distinguishing between a partition and a load-bearing wall is one of the most basic fundamental concepts in any building work. It's not some esoteric element that only a highly skilled engineer would be aware of. Literally everyone involved in construction understands the CONCEPT of load-bearing walls even if they might not be able to perform precise calculations regarding placement, etc. For a crew to just walk into a large structure and start removing all the interior walls without even considering the resulting structural integrity is mind-blowing. Whoever signed off on that work should have borne the greatest responsibility and received the harshest penalty.

[@P_RO_]

I'm with you here but still 'in the business'. The problem here is that nobody was asked to "sign off" anything- the building owners decided they wanted the walls removed and hired someone to do it. I wouldn't have taken on that job without an engineering report okaying it, but sadly many contractors do not have standards as high as mine. Also sadly that's why I'm not as rich as many of my cohorts, but I can at least sleep well at night.

[@alsmith9853]

I'm not in the business at all, but even I understand the concept

[@dirtyboypdx]

I've seen so many engineering disasters on this channel, and I'm always baffled by how developers are allowed to "experiment" with new methods of building construction that put so many lives at risk. We wouldn't put 700 people into an experimental aircraft, but apparently it's fine if it's a wedding hall, shopping mall, etc.

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

Beware fallacies. Keep in mind all the other experimental construction methods that you do not hear about because no disaster has made them a topic of discussion.

[@borderlineiq]

This wasn't an experimental technique. The video stated that the cause for failure was the lack of change control. As the owners added the third floor over the two-story section, it didn't go through adequate review to check the support. Further, and much, much more seriously, someone removed bearing walls, again, without a simple load review to see if it could be allowed. This was gross negligence. Criminal negligence. The guilty were not sentenced enough for this many avoidable deaths.

[@dirtyboypdx]

@@borderlineiq No, that was the *direct cause* of the diaster. It was in fact an experimental technique when it was built that was later found to be dangerous.

[@P_RO_]

@@borderlineiq But this was failed engineering technique, only that it was a secondary cause in this disaster. Engineering is the original 'race to the bottom' where the goal every day isn't to do the best possible, but to do the least possible so that time, money, and resources are saved. Any engineer can build solidly; everything needed to do that is already known, quantified, and documented already. Engineers who do that never advance in their careers; instead it's the engineers who do more for less that rise and profit from doing that. Engineering pushes the limits till it fails, and then blames something else instead of their methodology for the problem. The "Pal Kal" system was found to be deficient in design due to both inadequate strength and susceptibility to failure from commonly found poor construction, normal stress cracking leading to excessive weakness, and in that failure would almost certainly lead to progressive collapse. These points weren't covered in this video but did cause the technique to be banned in favor of known better designs which do not have this level of deficiency built into them.

[@scottyerkes1867]

Poor construction, lack of enforcement of building codes and keeping costs low in favor of safety are the root of this disaster. Thank you for posting this tragedy.

[@chadhOneAtl]

This channel has scarred me. Our local church you walk into it and there is a HUGE chandelier bolted to the ceiling. It is directly over where everyone sits. Every time I go there I just look up and have this guys voice in my head saying “little did the church people know…” And I sit somewhere else.

[@metarcee2483]

Check for opera phantoms, he might send it flying towards the stage.

[@sophierobinson2738]

I keep forgetting that we in the U.S. count the ground floor as one, while others call it ground floor and the second floor to us is their first floor.

[@jethro4453]

Yeah I had to keep reminding myself of that throughout the video, too

[@torrarosa7064]

Out of all the KZbin channels trying to duplicate your format, yours is the tops.. Cheers..

[@LilAnnThrax]

Oh I was hoping you'd cover this one at some point. It's such a sad story. Keep up the amazing work!

[@rileybobbert6527]

yeah and he didnt include the video

[@sufficientphrase7769]

@@rileybobbert6527 so? Find it yourself if you absolutely have to see it for some reason. I'm glad he didn't.

[@skylined5534]

@@rileybobbert6527 He doesn't usually include video of anything. He's better than that. If you must watch it find it on line elsewhere.

[@rileybobbert6527]

@@sufficientphrase7769 you just like to listen to morbid reality and not watch it? seems stupid and pathetic. grow up and get back to me

[@adamellsworth3732]

So many of these videos end with "fortunately thanks to these changes, a tragedy like this can never happen again." This one has more of a "this could happen tomorrow" feel.

[@zurirobinson2749]

That seems to be a theme with his videos recently. There's no actual closure, just "oh and here's all the reasons why this will probably happen again".

[@LockeRobsta]

A lot of these stories have people escaping justice but at least lessons were learned and methods changed. This is one of the few stories where justice is served well enough but lessons were ignored. There's just no helping some people.

[@mariaday8040]

Thank you for explaining the difference between "dead load" and "live load". Learnt something new.

[@seandelap8587]

This was quite recent but I've never heard of it that's what i love about this channel it covers a lot of stuff I'm unaware of and that doesn't tend to be covered elsewhere.

[@elite1361]

You have to watch the recording of this disaster, its chillinh

[@waynepopeski7796]

This was one of the postings where, as I watched , all I could say was oh no every time he points out a problem leading up to the disaster. You could easily see where this was going. At least some of the people involved to do jail time, unlike many of the other disasters he’s covered in the past

[@adamhickey396]

Remember seeing the video for this on Horror Stories's channel. Was absolutely shocking. Just happened in an instant and the cameraman was literally mere inches from the edge of the hole. Incredible how literally a single step could make the difference between life and death.

[@asiael4214]

Oh, you're actually approaching one million subscribers! I started watching when you were at roughly 80k and haven't missed a single video since. Amazing work.

[@nancym7844]

I truly appreciate how you dig into the causes of these tragedies. Thank you.

[@FinnishLapphund]

So, the owners had a building built with a later banned method, known to be dangerous, and they still decided to make all those modifications, whilst being fully aware about that the top floor was regularly used by people to dance on. Which I presume causes more vibrations than people just walking or standing. Either way, the owners created an incident just waiting to happen. Those poor people at the wedding.

[@JCBro-yg8vd]

Can't imagine a disaster like this occurring on your wedding day, especially during the reception. And it's scary to think that the state of Israel could still be at risk for another disaster like this because it is dragging its heels on carrying out inspections, determining what repairs need to be done and who should pay for them.

[@youtubegarbage7876]

Dragging its feet on human rights and stopping the Apartheid and Genocide too tho.

[@twilightexabyte]

In the video of the family falling through the floor the song that can be heard playing in the background is called: sarit hadad lev zahav. From what I’ve heard it’s pretty famous in Israel but the artist chose to never play it again live because of this tragedy

[@brentrichards1200]

Imagine going to prison for four years because someone compromised your build 20 years after you designed it and it was built.

[@P_RO_]

He had exceeded the cdommonly accepted safety margins which all other engineers adhered to in designing the "Pal Kal" system- that's why he went to jail too. This vid doesn't cover that but the info is out there for those interested in this.

[@em84c]

A badly designed building can take decades before it actually collapses.

[@ANightattheOpera28]

God, my own body hurt when he said the bride shattered her pelvis. I can't imagine that kind of pain, on top of having so many people DIE at your wedding reception (I've read that the groom's grandfather was among the deceased). The picture of the hole in the floor taken from where the tables are set up is chilling. There's a half drank bottle of Coke and it just shows that everyone was expecting to come back to their tables at some point and then THAT happens.

[@haha-kq6rz]

Whenever I'm in a situation that's about to go tits-up, I hear your theme music in my head.

[@stupidkitty84]

@5:08 Im so glad I seen this photo of the man in grey shirt with the child. When I seen the video I wondered if they fell or not because they were just on the edge of the collapse. Still troubling that they got stranded on that column and had to hear and see everything below without being able to move for fear they could still fall. 😢

[@thebumpercar1344]

Anyone else who's a long time viewer of this channel who went "Uh-oh" when FH said "However, late in the construction process..." ?

[@blackosprey2219]

This and the Station nightclub fire are definitely some of the most horrifying things I've seen on yt.

[@palck9tg]

God the station footage gave me nightmares for weeks

[@Basketofdeplorables123]

Bradford city football ground fire is quite distressing as well .

[@clarsach29]

I remember seeing this on the news at the time, people thought at first it might also have been an earth tremor that caused the collapse. Amazing that only 23 people died, this could have been MUCH worse. Buildings rarely collapse with no warning signs at all and even here the sagging floor should have alerted the owners days before the collapse. If you notice sagging floors, long zig zag cracks up a wall, shifting walls etc. then it's time to take action.

[@scottjohnson5415]

Reminds me of the collapse of the pedestrian bridges in the Hyatt Regency in Kansas City, MO in 1981. It was a combination of design flaw and improper construction methods. There was a dance party. Loaded with partygoers who were dancing, two concrete and glass platforms cascaded down, crashing onto a tea dance in the lobby, killing 114 and injuring 216.

[@carl_smiley_face1396]

Wow, never knew the context of the ghastly wedding footage! Thank you for your great documentary!

[@nozoto]

Me, as a french unfamiliar with the disaster: There is a wedding hall in use at the Versailles castle? Does it refer to the petit Trianon? Watching the video: Oh. Oh, it was in Israel. You got me good there.

[@StudioCoqui]

I remember seeing the news report back in 2001. I had the TV on mute so I didn't realize what the news was about as the news played the video. I saw the people on the dance floor shift down first, it was like time slowed down and my mind was saying "What?". Then the collapse happened. I never blinked as the report continued on. That initial floor sink before the collapse still freaks me out to this day.

[@Kevin-Schmevin]

When studying engineering I was taught about lots of cases like this one, as were the engineers who designed this one. The fact that they could have degrees and still be this incompetent is amazing to me.

[@Vampirebear13]

It's amazing "only" (and I do NOT mean that lightly) 23 people died 😲😭 But for me, the most spooky picture is on the surrounding tables & drinks left around where the rest of the floor is gone. 2001 was a bad year, on many levels 😞

[@ladyfarona1988]

Wonderfully done, FH. Your narration and presentation never fail to leave me on the edge of my seat.

[@joshuas.8239]

This is one of my all time favorite channels, from the background music during intro to outro, to the facts and precision in delivery of the video can’t get enough!

[@apocalypso3427]

This reminds me of the 1928 Dance Hall Explosion in my town (West Plains, Missouri). It happened on Friday the 13th of April. People gathered from miles around for the weekly dance, which was held at the dance hall in the town square. The dance hall was over a garage, which apparently exploded. A lot of people died and many more were hurt. There's a lot of mystery behind the story as there were rumors that the garage owner may have done it, rumors that there were shady people from out of town spotted acting strangely right before, and the details of the case were just odd. To this day, nobody is really sure what happened though I think it got marked down as "accidental" due to the gas tank in the garage exploding (though the tank was found without any damage to it). This case is scary and tragic. It's hard to think that public spaces can be so neglected and literally be just one step away from collapsing. I feel terrible for everyone who lost family and friends during what should have been such a happy day :(

[@QueenAqua]

Just got done watching Nexpo's coverage of this on Disturbing Things. The detail you went into shed a lot of light on things. Thank you for covering this.

[@seandelap8587]

A time to celebrate turns into absolute horror in a matter of moments RIP to them all.

[@EserPiecer]

You can find the video of the exact moment the floor gave way. It’s absolutely terrifying. Like yes we are scared of storms or serial killers, but you don’t normally fear falling through the floor. To see so many people fall and disappear is horrifying. The guy who recorded had to have been less than a foot away from where the floor gave out. Definitely one of the most disturbing videos I’ve seen.

[@twatacusflinch6218]

Once again you’ve provided information, photos, and video that add so much more context to the disaster, even though I’ve seen some other channels cover it recently. As always, superb work!

[@christopherbrooks4295]

Notification gang!! Thank you for the always awesome content

[@littlefishiesinthese]

Could you cover the Beirut explosion? I love the way you cover and explain things!

[@kristita_888]

Your videos are always meticulously researched and presented. Thank you for sharing your work! Yours is one of my favorite KZbin channels.

[@nopewmopan]

Since I work in the construction industry, your videos that concern engineering and architecture failures hit a little closer to home.

[@vincentbiddle]

I remember seeing this on the news where they showed the home video of the floor collapsing. That image has stuck with me over 20 years later. It was horrifying seeing all of those people just disappear.

[@AzarathsFlame]

Ever since I saw the footage of the collapse on Horror Stories' channel, I've always wanted more info on it but it seemed like the info was scarce due to language differences (?), so thank you for covering this with so much information!

[@hugewangsan3060]

Your tone and inflection at the end sent goosebumps across me. Great job. I feel like I witnessed this stuff.

[@doubleecho1980]

I always look forward to your videos, thank you for making these!

[@DarknetDude]

This is such a brilliant template for a channel. There's so much content to pull from because human history is FULL of horrors, and you cover it in such macabre detail. Gorgeous.

[@r99716]

i think he was influenced by the channel Horror Stories, i think they pioneered this format though i could be wrong

[@foo219]

They noticed the floor sagging and decided to make it heavier? That's... uh... perhaps a less brilliant solution than some others.

[@madameblackimusprime]

Yes!! I've been waiting for you to cover this!

[@railwayfan1988]

The hotel collapse in Singapore in 1986 was also caused by miscalculations in the dead-load.

[@Nimmo1492]

I remember seeing the footage of this on the news at the time, and it stuck with me for a long time. Such a deeply horrifying incident.

[@missykowalewski]

Interesting how Singapore had a disaster collapse that prompted them to tear down all buildings with a specific type of construction. No questions asked. And here’s Israel with a major building collapse and over 20 years later they haven’t changed a thing.

[@FF-ch9nr]

which building in singapore?

[@missykowalewski]

@@FF-ch9nr That’s a good question. I have seen thousands. But my best guess would be the Sampoong Mall. I could be wrong but that’s what comes to mind. Ill dig into my channels and see if I can find specifics. Disasterthon is the channel that has the most on Asian countries.

[@KenzeeRosebud]

I was curious how many of your videos I've watched, so I went to your channel for a scroll. It turns out, I've watched every single one!! Keep up the great work, man!!

[@okbanlon]

This is one of the best videos you've ever done, I think. The graphics showing the building plan and removal of the supporting walls really illustrated the factors that led to the collapse. Well done!

[@tomsock218]

This was absolutely insane! Such a sad story, RIP to all lost

[@amphiptered.5355]

I feel so bad for the bride and groom. So many couples hang wedding photos in their homes and look back fondly on their wedding videos. But for Keren and Asaf. They will only remember the tragedy whenever they look at those photos and videos. it is Infuriating that the owners barely did any time. I mean you have to be an idiot not to see something is wrong when the floor sags.

[@arnosilent8991]

Please comeback with the glass pound music on the background of the vídeo! This is a trademark of this channel!

[@sargonixofur1234]

Corruption and cost cutting costs lives. Every time. All junior engineers should be made to watch this channel.

[@sbrosier2383]

Horror Stories also featured this incident on his channel with actual footage of the floor collapsing. Pretty unsettling

[@franciscomendezlacomba3856]

You should cover the DuPont plaza hotel fire of New Years 1986. It is the deadliest fire ever to happen in a hotel in the US and led to the creation of many hotel regulations

[@tylerk3130]

You really are the master of finding tragedies that aren't as well known and giving an excellent overview, with an appropriate focus on the victims and future ramifications.

[@reachandler3655]

Thankyou for covering this tragedy and explaining why it happened. I think it's miraculous so many survived.

[@SkunkMantraTechnoSkunk]

i remember seeing this on BBC news suddenly when eating my dinner, after seeing it happen i was so shocked could not eat rest of it :(

[@avgeekviggi8360]

Maybe an idea for a future video: How about the San Juanico Gas explosions in San Juan Ixhuatepec, north of Mexico City on the 19th of November 1984? It's talked about very little in media outside of Mexico, although it was one of the deadliest industrial disasters ever, killing between 500 and 700 people and injuring nearly 2000 others as it devasteted an entire neighbourhood with fire... just an idea

[@jenniferferguson4373]

Thank you for all the hard work you do, it is greatly appreciated!!! You do you!!

[@lmzaadi]

You’re always educating me on events I didn’t know happened and I so appreciate that.

[@Zimin_Anatoly2000]

That was the most terrifying disaster i've ever seen on this channel. OMG,so many deaths and on a such happy event as someones wedding...Jesus.

[@fourtyfivefudd]

The original engineers should not have been prosecuted. The building lasted 30 years no problem because it was designed with an original purpose in mind. But when you start knocking down walls in ANY buildinh, of course you are going to risk the structural integrity especially if you don’t know what’s holding things up. They should have asked the original engineers or at least looked at the schematics of the building ti know what they can and cannot knock down

[@jenniferferguson4373]

Thank you for explaining Fire dept terms. It helps understand this disaster.

[@yvettedesmarais8107]

Another excellent video. Thank you!