Stampede kills over 40 at religious festival in Israel

ISRAEL: At least 44 people were crushed to death  and more than 100 injured at a religious bonfire festival in Israel on Friday.

The Israeli emergency service, Magen David Adom (MDA) said the crush occurred as tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews thronged to the Galilee tomb of second-century sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai for annual Lag B’Omer commemorations that include all-night prayer, mystical songs and dance.

The officials of the emergency service said at least 44 people were killed during the event early on Friday, adding “MDA is fighting for the lives of dozens wounded, and will not give up until the last victim is evacuated.”

Tragedy in Meron: MDA is fighting for the lives of dozens wounded, and will not give up until the last victim is evacuated.

38 are in critical condition and still in the field
6 in critical condition who were evacuated 
18 injured severely
 2 moderately
39 lightly pic.twitter.com/xUWStFYqQh

— Magen David Adom (@Mdais) April 30, 2021

Ambulance officials described the incident as a stampede and said 103 people had been injured, including dozens fatally. Channel 12 put the number of dead at 44. These included children, they said.

“We were standing and waiting for our friends, we were going to go inside for the dancing and stuff and all of a sudden we saw paramedics from MDA running by, like mid-CPR on kids,” Shlomo Katz, 36, said.

An update to the incident in Meron: the injuries were a result of a stampede and not a collapse. MDA EMTs and Paramedics are providing medical treatment to approximately 50 injured of which 20 are in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/5IcfQXNbD3

— Magen David Adom (@Mdais) April 29, 2021

On social media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “heavy disaster” and added: “We are all praying for the wellbeing of the casualties.”

Our hearts are heavy watching what’s happening in Mt. Meron, Israel tonight. 

May the victims’ memories be a blessing and the injured have speedy recoveries.

Tehillim prayers are in thread.#LagBOmer pic.twitter.com/jocqvi0zka

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) April 30, 2021

A video posted on social media by Israel’s public broadcasting, Kan, showed a jampacked crowd of pilgrims walking in a narrow lane.

האסון בהר מירון: לפחות 38 הרוגים בשל הדוחק והצפיפות | משדר מיוחדhttps://t.co/BlJdAJ5sjx pic.twitter.com/snOQ9m8WBd

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) April 30, 2021

The Mount Meron tomb is considered to be one of the holiest sites in the Jewish world and it is an annual pilgrimage site. The event was thought to be one of the largest gatherings of people in Israel since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic more than a year ago.

Private bonfires at Mount Meron were banned last year due to coronavirus restrictions, but lockdown measures were eased this year amid Israel’s rapid Covid-19 vaccination programme that has seen more than 54% of the population fully vaccinated.