Dozens crushed to death at religious festival in Israel

As 100,000 rushed to the Galilee tomb of 2 CE sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai for the annual Lag BaOmer commemorations, 44 people have been killed and 150 injured in a crowd crush in the northern Israel gathering. Taking place during one of Israels worst peacetime disasters, director of an Israeli volunteer ambulance, Eli Beer, said that even children were found among those dead.

Permission had only been given to 10,000 people to attend the festival at Mount Meron, which was the largest event held in Israel since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Footage showed how people were allegedly trampled or asphyxiated in a narrow passageway as they attempted to exit, with the cause of the crushing being so far unconfirmed. Corrugated iron walls were frantically pulled at in the confusion and mobile phone reception crashed as families desperately tried to contact missing loved ones.

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Photo Source: Reuters, Bpositivenow