Two Fire Commanders Face Charges Over Deir al-Asad Fatal Pit Disaster
Israel's State Attorney's Office plans to charge two fire commanders with death by negligence over a 2023 toxic pit disaster in Deir al-Asad that killed two firefighters.
The State Attorney's Office intends to file charges of causing death by negligence against two fire commanders, pending a pre-indictment hearing, following a three-year investigation into a fatal pit disaster in Deir al-Asad that claimed the lives of two firefighters.
The Haifa District Prosecutor's Office recently informed the families of the fallen firefighters, Staff Sergeant Dekel Marciano and Staff Sergeant Adnan Assad, of the decision. The two officers, Yigal Ben Abu and Tal Avraham Pafo, received summons letters detailing the pending charges. The suspects now have the opportunity to present their arguments during a formal hearing before a final decision is made regarding formal indictments.
The tragedy occurred on August 13, 2023, in the courtyard of a private residence in Deir al-Asad. Samed al-Aramin, a 20-year-old Palestinian from Hebron, fell into an eight-meter-deep cesspool filled with toxic gases and oxygen deprivation, losing consciousness. Local rescue forces, including special rescue units from the Karmiel station, were immediately dispatched to the scene.
During the rescue operation, Staff Sergeant Adnan Assad, 40, from Beit Jann, descended into the pit in an attempt to save the young man, but lost consciousness due to toxic fumes. His teammate, Staff Sergeant Dekel Marciano, 33, from Ma'alot-Tarshiha, entered the pit to rescue his colleagues and likewise succumbed to the gases.
Additional rescue teams pulled all three men from the pit, evacuating them to the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya while performing CPR. Assad and the young Palestinian were pronounced dead at the hospital, while Marciano passed away two days later on August 15 after fighting for his life in intensive care.
