Israeli authorities have indicated that dozens of people have been killed in a stampede at a Jewish religious gathering in northern Israel. The event, authorities say, was attended by tens of thousands of people, with the incident marking one of the country’s worst peacetime disasters.
According to Magen David Adom (MDA), the country’s emergency service,;at least 44 people were killed during the event early on Friday, 30th April. The emergency service added that “MDA is fighting for the lives of dozens;wounded, and will not give up until the last victim is evacuated.”
Reports indicate that the stampede occurred as tens of thousands of mainly ultra-Orthodox;Jews were participating in an annual pilgrimage for the feast of Lag BaOmer, in Mount Meron,;around the reputed tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a second-century Talmudic sage.
Witnesses said people were asphyxiated or trampled in a passageway, some going unnoticed;until the PA system sounded an appeal to disperse. A police official also told reporters that dozens of participants in a concert had “slipped”,;falling on those below them in the stands and causing a crushing domino effect.
Authorities had authorized 10,000 people to gather at the site of the tomb;but organizers said more than 650 buses had;been;chartered from across the country, bringing at least 30,000 pilgrims to Mount Meron.
Commenting on the incident, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu noted;it was “a serious disaster on Mount Meron”.
“We are all praying for the recovery of the injured. I ask to strengthen the rescue forces operating in the area.”
Israeli president, Reuven Rivlin added on social media that “With great anxiety I follow the reports from Meron and pray for the healing of the wounded.”
‘One of Israel’s worst disasters’
In his account to the media, Dov Maisel, vice-president of operations for United Hatzalah, a volunteer emergency services organization in Israel, described the scene as “one of Israel’s worst disasters”. People had been;“literally crushed to death”, he said.
He also intimated that the organization’s volunteers had seen “very, very difficult sights.”
“Sights that we haven’t seen here in Israel since the worst days of terrorist rage back in the beginning of the 2000s. I have no words. I honestly have no words”.
Yehuda Gottleib, one of the first responders from United Hatzalah emergency services, added that he saw “dozens of people fall on top of one another during the collapse… A large number of them were crushed and lost consciousness”.
The Israeli military said it had dispatched medics and search and rescue teams along with helicopters to assist with a “mass casualty incident” in the area.
The event was the first huge religious gathering of its kind to be held legally since Israel lifted nearly all restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. The country has seen cases drop since launching one of the world’s most successful vaccination campaigns late last year.
Health authorities had, however, warned against holding such a large gathering.
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