Workers haul away chunk that broke from Jerusalem's Western Wall

July 25 (UPI) -- Workers began hauling away Wednesday a portion of Jerusalem's famous Western Wall that broke away this week and nearly struck a worshiper.

The large chunk broke loose Monday near Robinson's Arch, south of the main prayer plaza. It narrowly missed Daniella Goldberg, 79, and damaged the platform where she was praying.

"I didn't hear or feel anything until it landed right at my feet, " he said.

The Western Wall is one of Jerusalem's holiest sites.

Goldberg said she'd prayed at the site regularly before the boulder crashed down.

Archaeologists said they were surprised by the 220-lb rock breaking loose, they said the wall is still structurally sound.

"I never saw a thing like that before. It was very surprising," Hebrew University of Jerusalem Professor Eilat Mazar, a third-generation expert on Jerusalem archaeology, told Haaretz.

Hebrew University Professor Simon Emmanuel said "the odd brick may fall" again as the sun and weather conditions erode the 2,000-year-old wall. He emphasized, though, the wall itself "isn't going anywhere anytime soon."