Woman, 70, killed in Jerusalem after crane falls on her amid winter windstorm

Identity of the victim not yet announced; unclear if high winds caused construction vehicle to overturn, and police say three suspects connected to the site were detained

By Charlie Summers

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and ToI Staff 28 January 2026, 7:18 pm

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Police forces are seen at the scene where a crane collapsed onto a vehicle, killing a woman in the Arnona neighborhood of Jerusalem, January 28, 2026. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

A 70-year-old woman was killed Wednesday after a crane attached to a truck collapsed on her in Jerusalem’s Arnona neighborhood, first responders said, as high winds swept across the capital during a winter storm.

The pedestrian was found lying on the sidewalk by Magen David Adom and Hatzalah medics, according to statements from both agencies.

The crane also appeared to have fallen onto a parked car. It was unclear what exactly caused the crane to collapse, and whether the high winds played a part in the incident.

Paramedics rushed the woman with a life-threatening head injury to Shaare Zedek Medical Center.

“The woman was lying on the sidewalk unconscious, with a severe head injury,” a medic told Channel 12. “We saw that she had been hit by a crane truck that had overturned. We provided her with medical treatment, put her in an intensive care unit and evacuated her to the hospital in critical condition.”

She succumbed to her wounds and was pronounced dead by medical staff at the hospital, reports in Hebrew media said.

The woman’s identity has not yet been announced.

Police officers dispatched to the scene detained three suspects connected to work at the site and are examining the circumstances of the lethal incident, police said.

The Israel Meteorological Service on Wednesday issued yellow warnings for high winds across much of coastal Israel and the Jerusalem area, warning that “driving conditions may be difficult,” and saying that “loose objects or objects that may break off in strong winds, such as antennas, planters, sheds, loose cables, should be strengthened and fixed, and tree branches should be pruned.”

The IMS also issued a red warning for all of coastal Israel against swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, warning against all entry to the sea due to high tides, rough seas and strong currents.

The strong winds are expected to subside by Thursday morning, with warmer temperatures and milder conditions forecasted to return over the weekend.