A tunnel beneath the border wall between Gaza and Egypt collapsed Sunday morning, killing a Palestinian worker, medical sources said.

Two other smugglers were hurt in the collapse, said Mouawia Hassanein, director of emergencies of the Gaza Health Ministry.

He added that the dead was Ismail Abu Jlidan, 20, a resident of the border town of Rafah. His two colleagues were being treated for moderate injuries.

Various sorts of goods flow to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip through a network of underground tunnels in Rafah.

Gaza-based human rights groups said since the beginning of the tight Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, more than 120 local workers were killed in tunnels that collapsed on their heads.

(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2009)