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Quake could kill 'whole generation' of schoolchildren By Shahar Ilan A major earthquake may destabilize the foundations of Jerusalem-area schools and kill thousands of pupils, a Jerusalem municipal official warned yesterday. "If a quake hits between 8 A.M. and 1 P.M., a whole generation will be lost," Avraham Ben Nun told a special Knesset committee investigating earthquake preparedness. Advertisement Ben Nun told the committee that an earthquake shelter developed by the Jerusalem municipality has been built in only one school. In a previous session, the committee criticized the shelter because it resembled a cage. Located on the Afro-Syrian rift, Israel is hit by a major quake once a century on average. Last month, a 5.3-magnitude tremor was felt in most parts of the country, raising fears about the possibility of an imminent destructive earthquake. Ministry of Education officials told the committee last month that a large-scale earthquake endangered over half of Israel's pupils, who study at schools built before 1980, the year earthquake building standards were introduced. Tiberias Mayor Zohar Oved told the committee that a hotel in his city was situated directly over a fault line. Oved said that Efraim Laor, the head of an inter-ministerial committee in charge of earthquake preparedness, rejected his request to close the hotel. "The hotel is worth NIS 50 million," Laor was quoted as saying by Oved. "The entire city is located at the meeting point of tectonic plates, perhaps the entire city should be evacuated." Oved rebuked the government for its alleged lack of preparedness. "We're on borrowed time. It could happen any second. My sense is that there's a lot of theoretical talk going on. We need to raise a cry." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Bring down the house Knesset speaker calls for wrecking of yeshiva killer's family home. Frum and fabulous Beauty salons offer Haredi women a unique brand of modest glamour.

Today Online Britain bans Likud's Moshe Feiglin from entering country Responses: 317 Editorial: Sign peace deal quickly with PA Responses: 132 Rocket on Ashkelon ends four-day lull in violence Responses: 136 N.Y. Governor in sex scandal; pimp said to hold Israel passport Responses: 143 PA official: West Bank construction threatens peace process Responses: 148 More Headlines 21:40 Egypt FM: Cairo can forge truce between Israel and Gaza militants 01:52 Qureia to Livni: 'Shocked' at Israeli plan to expand settlement 01:08 Police officers slam district chief's ignorance about yeshiva attack 22:08 Shas urges PM to continue aliyah of Ethiopian Falashmura 22:00 Shas chair demands that PM unfreeze E. J'lem construction plan 22:53 Livni to Obama: There is a direct link between Iran and terror 23:58 Pro-Palestinian graffiti found inside El Al plane in Italy 22:50 Report: Yeshiva graduates plan revenge attack against Arab figure 22:19 Israeli leftist Fahima consoles family of J'lem yeshiva terrorist 23:37 U.S. immigrant builds bridges with the 'Facebook of peace' 17:47 Justice Min. says he'll freeze bill to restrict Supreme Court power 20:08 Belgian gov't, banks to pay 110M euros to victims of Holocaust 20:23 Police: Organized crime groups traffic Palestinians into Israel Previous Editions Select Day 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb 28 feb 27 feb

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