Palestinian Killed in Tunnel Collapse

A 29-year-old Palestinian man was killed when a tunnel running underneath the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt collapsed, Palestinian medics said on Tuesday.

The man was identified as Ahmed Arbea, from the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis. Eyewitnesses said he was involved in smuggling through some of the many tunnels that connect the coastal territory to Egypt.

Palestinians in Gaza smuggle goods ranging from weapons to livestock through the tunnels that run underneath the border with Egypt, with the trade booming since Israel imposed a blockade on the territory.

Accidents in the tunnel occur regularly, including tunnel collapses and electrocution.

On September 27, medics said three Palestinians had been killed by waste water from Egypt that flooded a tunnel running underneath the border.