Crammed Into The Annual Pilgrimage, 38 Israelis Are Killed, Hundreds Of Others Injured

Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons / Paul Sableman)

JAKARTA - Dozens of people died in an accident at Israel's annual religious bonfire festival on Friday, April 30, said medics.

Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews have gathered at the Mount Meron tomb of 2nd-century Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai for the annual Lag B'Omer memorial that includes all-night prayers and dances.

A joyful crowd gathered despite warnings from health officials to avoid presenting the risk of COVID-19. Witnesses said they realized people had been breathless or trampled on when an organizer used a loudspeaker to call for the crowd to disperse.

"We thought there might be a warning (bomb) over a suspicious package. Nobody thought this could happen here. Rejoicing into sorrow, the bright light turned pitch black", an Israeli pilgrim who gave his name Yitzhak told Channel 12 TV, as quoted by Antara reported by Reuters, Friday, April 30.

The Lag B'Omer event on Mount Meron is considered to be one of the biggest gatherings of Israelis in the past year, since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, including Israel.

Magen David Adom's ambulance service said 103 people were injured, including dozens killed. Channel 12 puts the death toll at 38. Police closed the site and ordered revelers to leave. The military helicopter carries the victim to the hospital.

The tomb is considered one of the holiest sites in the Jewish world and is an annual pilgrimage site. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also expressed his condolences.

Through his Twitter account, Netanyahu called this event a major disaster. "We all pray for the welfare of the victims", he tweeted.