More than 65 injured, many in critical condition as ambulances, helicopters evacuating victims from largest gathering held in Israel since COVID outbreak; IDF sends rescue team
The incident s cause was not immediately apparent. According to a local media report citing witnesses, many of the injured are unconscious, and ambulances and.
April 29, 2021
A stampede early Friday at a mountainside religious celebration in Israel that drew tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews left at least 44 people dead and scores more injured.
By some estimates, about 100,000 people were crammed together late Thursday to celebrate a holiday on Mount Meron in northern Israel, despite warnings from the authorities about the risk of Covid-19 transmission.
The deadly crush began around 1 a.m. on Friday, as celebrants began to pour out of a section of a compound where festivities were being held. The death toll of 44, released later by the Health Ministry, made it one of the worst civilian disasters in Israeli history.
Some 20,000 people streamed down a narrow walkway between two walls during the event. On the ground was slick metal flooring, which caused some people to fall underfoot during the rush for the exit.
צפיפות בלתי נתפסת: תיעוד הרגעים לפני האסון בהר מירון. פינוי הנפגעים טרם הסתיים@rubih67pic.twitter.com/a6iiK2NPl1
Witnesses and survivors described the horror.
“We were going in to see the bonfire lighting, suddenly there was a wave coming out. Our bodies were swept along by themselves. People were thrown up in the air, others were crushed on the ground,” David, a survivor, told the Ynet news site.
“There was a kid there who kept pinching my leg, fighting for his life. We waited to be rescued for 15-20 minutes in this crazy, terrible crush. it was awful.”
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