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At least 5 killed in Gaza after airdrop aid parachutes fail to deploy

Click to play video: '5 Palestinians dead in Gaza in freak accidents where airdropped boxes fell on them'
5 Palestinians dead in Gaza in freak accidents where airdropped boxes fell on them
WATCH: At least 5 Palestinians were reportedly killed and several others wounded in Gaza after boxes of humanitarian aid fell on them by mistake. Nivrita Ganguly explains the situation and the inefficiencies of airdrops – Mar 9, 2024

At least five people were killed and 10 others injured when airdropped aid packages fell on them in the Al Shati camp west of Gaza City, according to Hamas-run Ministry of Health.

Footages posted on social media showed a large cluster of aid parcels suspended from parachutes drifting through the sky but appearing to get tangled before one, with its chute deployed but not fully opened, dropped much more quickly than the rest.

The people were in the Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, and the incident occurred at around 11:30 a.m. local time.

Click to play video: 'Aid ship headed for Gaza from Cypress'
Aid ship headed for Gaza from Cypress

The U.S., Jordan, Egypt, France, the Netherlands and Belgium dropped aid over Gaza on Friday in an attempt to get supplies, including desperately needed food, to residents amid an ever-worsening humanitarian crisis there.

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United States Air Force drops humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Saturday, March 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Hajjar)

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) denied in a statement that the fatalities were not caused by U.S. airdrops.

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“We are aware of reports of civilians killed as a result of humanitarian airdrops. We express sympathies to the families of those who were killed. Contrary to some reports, this was not the result of U.S. airdrops,” CENTCOM said.

Click to play video: 'Israeli strike on Rafah tower displaces around 300 families'
Israeli strike on Rafah tower displaces around 300 families

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