Two Infants Killed in Jerusalem Daycare After Suspected Heating Fumes

Two four-month-old infants were killed Monday afternoon and at least 55 others were hospitalized after suspected inhalation of fumes from heating devices at a private daycare in the Romema neighborhood of Jerusalem. Emergency services said the infants suffered breathing difficulties inside the facility, which was operating in a residential building.

Authorities believe the infants were exposed to dangerous fumes caused by heating used inside the daycare without proper ventilation. Fire and Rescue officials said monitoring ruled out hazardous or toxic substances, and investigators are examining whether suffocation or smoke inhalation from heating equipment led to the deaths. 

According to Magen David Adom (MDA), an emergency call was received at 12:24 p.m. reporting an unconscious infant at the daycare. Medical teams arrived to find a four-month-old infant without a pulse and not breathing, began advanced resuscitation, and evacuated her to the hospital while continuing life-saving measures. Moments later, a second infant from the same daycare was brought to the teams in the same condition, prompting the dispatch of large medical forces and the decision to evacuate all infants from the building.

“There was great panic at the scene,” United Hatzalah paramedic Fadi Dakidik said. “Infants inside the building were having difficulty breathing. We performed resuscitation on two infants and provided initial treatment to many others.”

Emergency responders described a complex scene with dozens of infants inside the building. “Dozens of infants were inside the building. We conducted scans, provided medical care, and evacuated all of them to hospitals in Jerusalem,” said Dr. Menachem Astrik, a volunteer physician with Magen David Adom.

Children were transported to multiple hospitals in Jerusalem, including Shaare Zedek and Hadassah’s Har HaTzofim and Ein Kerem campuses. Hospital officials said dozens of infants arrived for assessment, most in mild condition and conscious, while emergency teams remained on standby.

Fire and Rescue Service officials said the district’s hazardous materials unit completed monitoring inside the daycare and its surroundings, and no toxic or hazardous substances were detected. The investigation is now focused on whether fumes from heating devices possibly used with open flames or coil heaters, caused oxygen depletion or smoke inhalation inside the enclosed space.

Police evacuated the building and conducted searches alongside firefighting crews to identify the source of the incident. Police detained three caregivers who operated the daycare for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation into safety violations and responsibility.

Hundreds of parents rushed to the scene seeking information about their children as emergency teams coordinated evacuations and hospital transfers. Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing and that the precise mechanism of the infants’ deaths is still under examination.