2 dead, 2 injured in metal workshop fire

Two men were killed and two others were injured in a fire Tuesday morning at a metal workshop in Beit Nehemia, an agricultural village in the center of the country.

Police said the men who died were likely Palestinian workers from the West Bank who were in Israel illegally.

Initial reports indicated that one man was treated for smoke inhalation and hospitalized.

A fourth victim, who was also hospitalized for treatment, had apparently jumped from a high window to escape the flames and broke both his legs.

The cause of the blaze was not initially clear.

There were no other reports of injuries or property damage, and once called to the scene, firefighters were able to extinguish the fire.

Although police did not say what had caused the fire, they arrested the owner of the facility and the man who employed the Palestinian workers.