Israel ignored warnings of overcrowding at site of deadly religious stampede
Several reports published over last decade had warned of over-crowding risks at the Mount Meron religious festival
1 May 2021 • 2:28pm
Rescue workers take a dead body into an ambulance after dozens were killed in a crush at a religious festival in Mount Meron on April 30, 2021
Credit: Getty/Amir Levy
Israeli police and ministers could face a government inquest as it emerged that officials had repeatedly warned of the risks of overcrowding at Mount Meron, where a stampede killed 45 people and injured dozens on Friday night.
Over the past thirteen years, three reports were published in Israel which identified the annual religious festival as a public health risk, raising questions as to whether police failed to ensure the venue was safe.
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Mourners carry the body of Shraga Gestetner, a Canadian singer who died during Lag BaOmer celebrations at Mt. Meron in northern Israel, at his funeral in Jerusalem on Friday, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Ultra-Orthodox men carry the bodies of Moshe Englander, 14, and his brother, Yehoshua, 9, who died during Lag B Omer celebrations at Mt. Meron in northern Israel, in Jerusalem on Friday, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
In a sign of mourning for one who lost a relative, a man cuts the shirt of a child whose father died in Meron tragedy, April 30, 2021 (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
Hundreds attend the Jerusalem funeral of David Krauss in Jerusalem, one of the victims of the Meron tragedy, April 30, 2021 (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
Israel mourns as festival crush victims identified msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Updated: Apr 30 2021, 18:27 ET
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TWO pairs of young brothers were among the 45 victims of the devastating Lag B Omer festival stampede as panicked crowds funnelled into a tiny death trap tunnel.
The disaster unfolded in Meron, Israel, shortly after midnight as Jewish worshippers were left gasping for air and others were crushed to death, with funerals already underway for victims.
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Mourners carry the body of Shragee Gestetner, a Canadian singer who died during Lag BaOmer celebrationsCredit: AP
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Ultra-Orthodox Jewish mourners carry the body of a victim during a funeral ceremony in JerusalemCredit: AFP
As survivors tell of the horrific scenes, the names of two pairs of young brothers who died in the incident have been revealed.
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