Boulder falls on that TM prayer plaza, no one hurt

TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH (YIKES!): Ancient boulder dislodges from Western Wall, crashes onto egalitarian plaza. Dramatic footage shows large stone coming loose from revered site, shattering on platform below; no injuries reported (Marissa Newman and Amanda Borschel-Dan, Times of Israel).

The fallen boulder weighed about 220 pounds (100 kilos), Israel Radio said.

The incident came a day after the platform was filled with worshippers marking the Tisha B’Av fast, which honors the destruction of the two Jewish temples in Jerusalem. Tens of thousands of Jewish Israelis also flocked to the main prayer plaza of the Western Wall between Saturday night and Sunday evening to solemnly mark the day.

I'm glad no one was injured. The controversial prayer plaza has been in the news for other reasons recently. Background here and links.

UPDATE (24 July): The article has been revised to indicate just what a close call this was:

There were no injuries in the incident near Robinson’s Arch, south of the main prayer plaza, but the rock landed very close to a female worshiper.

“I didn’t hear or feel anything until it landed right at my feet, ” said Daniella Goldberg, 79. She said she was praying at the site, as she does regularly, when suddenly the boulder crashed down. She told Hadashot TV news she “tried not to let the incident distract me from my prayers” and refused to be drawn on whether divine providence had spared her. “May we all be blessed,” she said.

She tried not to let the incident distract her from her prayers. That's the spirit!

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