ISRAELI INQUIRY INTO THE COLLAPSE OF A PEDESTRAIN BRIDGE, 1997-07-23 (photo)

Israeli inquiry into the collapse of a pedestrian bridge that killed two Australians at the start of the "Jewish Olympics" said on July 23 that faulty design, materials and construction led to the disaster. The seven-member committee, chaired by Ishai Dotan, (L, from L to R) Meni Ben-Bassat Efraim Yifhar and Yitzhak Dotan. Dotan, former chief engineer of the Israeli army, submitted its findings to the government, but refrained from recommending any criminal indictments pending completion of a police investigation. Competitors from the 370-member Australian team to the 51-nation Maccabiah Games were walking across the bridge over the Yarkon River on July 14 when it buckled as they prepared to enter a stadium near Tel Aviv for the opening of the games. ISRAEL-BRIDGE