Dozens of people died in the northern Israeli town of Meron on Thursday night after a stampede at a large public gathering to celebrate the Lag B’Omer Jewish festival. Rescue services say at least 44 people were killed in the incident.
Emergency services and ambulances “are treating dozens of injured” including “20 patients in a critical state,” Zaki Heller, spokesperson for Magen David Adom, the Israeli emergency service, said in a statement.
Scenes from Meron hours after the accident showed an ultra-Orthodox Jewish crowd in distress, with debris scattered across the ground.
Some survivors had lit candles for the victims while other prayed at a nearby wall.
Police closed access to the area to prevent a crowd from building further, while rescue workers and security forces worked to clear the area and identify the victims.
Israeli media have published an image of a row of bodies covered in plastic bags on the ground.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as a “heavy disaster” and added: “We are all praying for the wellbeing of the casualties.”
President Reuven Rivlin also tweeted that he was following the reports from Meron and praying for the recovery of the injured.
It was not immediately clear what caused the stampede.
Media reports initially said a section of stadium seating had collapsed at the event site. But officials later said it appeared that the casualties had been asphyxiated or trampled in the stampede.
Gathering held despite COVID risk
The annual pilgrimage for the feast of Lag B’Omer is staged in Meron around the reputed tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a second century Talmudic sage.
Last year, the event was called off due to restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
This year’s gathering had been held in defiance of health officials who had worries that crowding could pose a COVID-19 risk.
Authorities had authorized 10,000 people to gather at the site of the tomb but organizers said more than 650 busses had been chartered from across the country, bringing 30,000 pilgrims to Meron.
About 5,000 police were deployed to secure the event, with the police urging pilgrims to avoid incidents during the feast when bonfires are lit.
