Four Palestinians die in Gaza tunnel collapse

Four Palestinians were killed and 10 injured when a smuggling tunnel under the Gaza Strip border with Egypt collapsed yesterday, medical sources said.

Witnesses said the cave-in occurred after an explosion on the Egyptian side of the tunnel, but security services in Gaza did not confirm that account.

The death toll was the highest for a Gaza tunnel collapse since July, when five people were killed.

The impoverished territory of 1.5 million people has largely relied on the vast network of tunnels on the border since Israel and Egypt sealed Gaza off to all but vital aid after the Islamist movement Hamas seized power in June 2007.

More than 120 Palestinians have died in cave-ins or been killed by Israeli military operations aimed at the tunnels since the Hamas takeover, medics say.