Israel has recorded one if its deadliest civilian disaster, as stampede at a religious festival in the northern part of the country has killed dozens and injured scores.
At least 44 people died, while more than 150 others were injured on Friday, medical officials said.
The country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said children were among the dead, and has declared a national day of mourning on Sunday.
The incident occurred during celebrations of Lag BaOmer, at Mount Meron the resting place of a second century sage and mystic, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
Each year, tens of thousands of people ultra-Orthodox Jews, gather to celebrate the rabbi and traditionally light bonfires as part of the celebrations.
“People came to celebrate Lag BaOmer and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and unfortunately were literally crushed to death,” said Dov Maisel, of United Hatzalah, an Israeli volunteer emergency medical services organization that was on the scene. “Many many people were hurt, injured and killed here”.
Clips from drone footage taken of the event on Thursday showed what appeared to be thousands of people gathering for the festivities. Videos circulating on social media and pictures from news agencies showed large numbers packed together in tight spaces.
One video posted on social media appeared to show a mass of people spilling down an open-air corridor, amid what appeared to be a cacophony of alarmed sounds as people were carried along with the crowd.
In a separate video, people appear being pulled back and forward by the momentum of a crowd.
Magen David Adom, Israel’s national medical emergency services, said it received a call about a stampede at Mount Meron at 12:50 a.m. Friday (5:50 p.m. Thursday ET). Health officials put the number of those confirmed dead at 44.
After visiting the scene of the incident on Friday, Netanyahu described it as one of the “heaviest disasters” to befall Israel.
“There were heartbreaking sights here, people crushed to death, including children. A large proportion of those who have perished have not yet been identified … this is tearing up the hearts of families,” he said.
Maor Atadgi, a paramedic with the emergency services, recounted the disheartening ordeal of rescuing those hurt from “piles of people” and trying to resuscitate people who were already dead.
“In all my years at MDA, I do not remember such a heavy disaster,” he said, in a statement released by his employer.
The prime minister expressed gratitude towards the rescue operation for their rapid response and ordered that a thorough investigation be conducted.
