Gas leak behind blast that kills 4 in Israeli city

  JERUSELEM -- Police say a large explosion that killed four and wounded dozens in the Israeli city of Netanya was caused by a gas leak.

The explosion took place shortly after midnight Friday in Netanya, gutting a large apartment building and blowing out windows on a busy thoroughfare.

Local police commander Shimon Shomroni says the blast was an "accident."

Shomroni told Army Radio that investigators are looking into the cause and are questioning a technician who checked the gas canisters at the building on Thursday.

Many Israelis use natural gas for cooking and heating.

The owner of a restaurant nearby told Army Radio that he had reported the smell of gas to fire services about an hour before the explosion.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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