The Festival: Around 100,000 ultra-orthodox jews were gathered at Mount Meron tomb to celebrate the annual Jewish holiday of ‘Lag B’Omer’. Tons of people were gathered late on Friday to witness the ceremonial bonfire lighting, when what officials describe as a ‘stampede’ occurred.
A stampede at a religious festival attended by tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel killed at least 44 people and injured about 150, medical officials said. An injured man said the crush of people caused a “general bedlam.” https://t.co/2gw6gxszwi
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 30, 2021
A witness present says that as soon as the bonfire had been lit, he could see waves of people being crushed by each other as intense screams and calls for help were heard. Another witness said that people being trampled went unheard until the system around sound went off asking people to disperse, causing even more confusion of a likely ‘bomb threat’.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT – Dozens killed in a stampede at an over-crowded religious bonfire festival in Israel https://t.co/qtn8qQ7SAd pic.twitter.com/838qLfRhO3
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 30, 2021
Rescue and repercussions: Israel’s military was dispatched instantaneously to provide medical support and an elite rescue team to help those that were severely injured. Israel’s medical emergency service said it transported 103 people to hospitals with injuries, out of which 20+ were in critical conditions.
A huge stampede at the densely packed Jewish pilgrimage site of Mount Meron killed at least 44 people in northern Israel — in pictures https://t.co/l0ChVE56Kr pic.twitter.com/Y7aHTZ3oMs
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 30, 2021
This was the largest public gathering in Israel or anywhere else in the region ever since the pandemic began, and it is very unfortunate that a time of rejoice has become a time of mourning.