More than two dozen people have been killed in a crush at a religious bonfire festival in Israel in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a “heavy disaster”.
Medics confirmed that dozens of people had been hurt on Friday at the Lag B’Omer event in northern Mount Meron, where tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews were gathered at the tomb of a 2nd-century sage for annual commemorations that include all-night prayer and dance.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service said about 20 people had life-threatening injuries.
On Twitter, Mr Netanyahu called it a “heavy disaster” and added: “We are all praying for the wellbeing of the casualties.”
It was the first large religious gathering of its kind to be held legally since Israel lifted nearly all restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.
The country has seen cases plummet since launching one of the world’s most successful vaccination campaigns late last year.
Health officials had expressed concern that crowding could pose a COVID-19 risk.
Police said on Thursday that they had arrested two people for disrupting officers’ efforts to keep order at the site.
-with agencies
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