JERUSALEM (Reuters) – At least 20 people were seriously injured in a crush at a religious bonfire festival in Israel on Friday, medics said, in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a “heavy disaster”.
Media reports said a section of stadium seating had collapsed 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 dozens of people were hurt, including 20 who were in critical condition.
On Twitter, Netanyahu called it a “heavy disaster” and added: “We are all praying for the wellbeing of the casualties.”
(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Stephen Coates)
