The disaster occurred at the main celebrations of Lag BaOmer, a holiday when tens of thousands of people, mostly ultra-Orthodox Jews, gather to honor Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a 2nd century sage and mystic who is buried there. Large crowds traditionally light bonfires as part of the celebrations at M
A stampede at a religious festival attended by tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews in northern Israel killed at least 44 people and injured some 150 others early Friday, medical officials said, in one of the country s deadliest civilian disasters.
The stampede occurred during the celebrations of Lag BaOmer at Mount Meron. Tens of thousands of people, mostly ultra-Orthodox Jews, gather each year to honour Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a 2nd century sage and mystic who is buried there. Large crowds traditionally light bonfires, pray and dance as part of the celebrations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the stampede a “great tragedy” and said everyone was praying for the victims.
Stampede at Israeli religious festival kills nearly 40
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Israeli security officials and rescuers carry a body of a victim who died during a Lag Ba Omer celebrations at Mt. Meron in northern Israel, Friday, April 30, 2021. More than 100 people were injured, dozens critically, in a stampede at a Jewish religious gathering in northern Israel attended by tens of thousands of people, Israel s main rescue service said early Friday. (AP Photo)
JERUSALEM – A stampede broke out early Friday at a Jewish religious festival attended by tens of thousands of people in northern Israel, killing nearly 40 people and leaving some 150 hospitalized, medical officials said.
Stampede at Israeli religious festival kills nearly 40
JOSEPH KRAUSS, Associated Press
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1of5Israeli security officials and rescuers carry a body of a victim who died during a Lag Ba Omer celebrations at Mt. Meron in northern Israel, Friday, April 30, 2021. More than 100 people were injured, dozens critically, in a stampede at a Jewish religious gathering in northern Israel attended by tens of thousands of people, Israel s main rescue service said early Friday.APShow MoreShow Less
2of5Israeli security officials and rescuers stand around the bodies of victims who died during a Lag Ba Omer celebrations at Mt. Meron in northern Israel, Friday, April 30, 2021. The director of an Israeli ambulance service has confirmed that nearly 40 people died in a stampede at a religious festival in northern Israel. (Ishay Jerusalemite/Behadrei Haredim via AP)Ishay Jerusalemite/APShow MoreShow Less
Stampede at Israeli religious festival kills nearly 40
JOSEPH KRAUSS, Associated Press
FacebookTwitterEmail 5
1of5Israeli security officials and rescuers carry a body of a victim who died during a Lag Ba Omer celebrations at Mt. Meron in northern Israel, Friday, April 30, 2021. More than 100 people were injured, dozens critically, in a stampede at a Jewish religious gathering in northern Israel attended by tens of thousands of people, Israel s main rescue service said early Friday.APShow MoreShow Less
2of5Israeli security officials and rescuers stand around the bodies of victims who died during a Lag Ba Omer celebrations at Mt. Meron in northern Israel, Friday, April 30, 2021. The director of an Israeli ambulance service has confirmed that nearly 40 people died in a stampede at a religious festival in northern Israel. (Ishay Jerusalemite/Behadrei Haredim via AP)Ishay Jerusalemite/APShow MoreShow Less