At least 44 people were killed in a stampede that occurred at a Jewish bonfire festival in northern Israel on Friday.
Dozens more were injured at the annual Lag B’Omer at the foot of Mount Meron, according to medics
Israel’s national emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA) in a tweet said it is fighting for the lives of dozens wounded, and will not give up until the last victim is evacuated.
According to the MDA, at least 103 were injured while 38 are in critical condition
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a “heavy disaster” and said he would pray for the fatalities.
Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews had attended the religious festival that included all-night prayer, mystical songs and dance.
According to a Reuters report, witnesses said people were trampled in a narrow passageway with some going unnoticed until the PA system sounded urging the crowd to disperse.
Dozens of ambulances rushed to the scene paramedics laid out bodies on the ground. Search-and-rescue troops were dispatched while helicopters ferried the injured to hospitals.
