HORRIFIC TRAGEDY IN MERON

before all the initial reports mostly, from the Jewish/Israeli news, disappear into a sanitised version:

HORRIFIC TRAGEDY IN MERON: 44 R”L Dead After Stampede At Kever Rashbi; More Than 100 Injured

A stampede broke out early Friday at a Jewish religious festival attended by tens of thousands of people in northern Israel, killing nearly 40 people and leaving some 150 hospitalized, medical officials said.

The stampede, one of the deadliest civilian disasters in Israeli history, occurred during the celebrations of Lag BaOmer at Mount Meron. Tens of thousands of people, mostly ultra-Orthodox Jews, gather each year to honor Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a 2nd century sage and mystic who is buried there. Large crowds traditionally light bonfires, pray and dance as part of the celebrations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “great tragedy,” and said everyone was praying for the victims.

Media estimated the crowd at about 100,000 people.

Eli Beer, director of the Hatzalah rescue service, said he was horrified by how crowded the event was, saying the site was equipped to handle perhaps a quarter of the number who were there.

“Close to 40 people died as a result of this tragedy,” he told the station.

The incident happened after midnight, and the cause of the stampede was not immediately clear. Videos circulating on social media showed large numbers of ultra-Orthodox Jews packed together in tight spaces.

A 24-year-old witness, identified only by his first name Dvir, told the Army Radio station that “masses of people were pushed into the same corner and a vortex was created.” He said a first row of people fell down, and then a second row, where he was standing, also began to fall down from the pressure of the stampede

Police fire pepper spray in Meron

Riots over the partitions between men and women at the shrine of R. Shimon Bar Yochai were dispersed by force, including the use of pepper spray.

Vaccine clinic in Meron

A COVID-19 vaccination clinic has been established in Meron, to remain open until Shabbat.

Update: Stampede At Israeli Lag BaOmer Festival Kills Nearly 40

PICTURE NOT SHOWN, THIS IS THE CAPTION:  Israeli security officials and rescuers stand around the bodies of victims who died during a Lag Ba'Omer celebrations at Mt. Meron in northern Israel, Friday, April 30, 2021. The director of an Israeli ambulance service has confirmed that nearly 40 people died in a stampede at a religious festival in northern Israel. (Ishay Jerusalemite/Behadrei Haredim via AP)

FIRST REPORT

MERON (VINnews) — In a horrific turn of events, many people are reported injured in Meron after a stampede occurred near the Toldos Aharon bonfir. There are multiple fatalities, with even more injured.

At the time of this writing there appears to be at least 38 fatalities, and at least 50 people injured, 20 of them critically.

An IDF team has been brought in to asssit with freeing people still trapped.

Inital reports said that the disaster was caused by some sort of collpase, but Magen David Adom seem to indicate that it was ralated to overcrowding.

Later, an IDF team at the scene reported that a roof had collapsed.

The Lag Baomer celebrations have been brough to a halt. Bonfires are being put out, and officials are attempting to lead people out.

In place of the lively music, Tehilim recitals can now be heard.

2018 REPORTER

Chareidi journalist Aryeh Erlich retweeted a warning of a potential tragedy occurring on the narrow Toldos Aharon passageway that he wrote in 2018!

“Tell the police to stop making excuses,” he captioned the retweet. “I refer you to my tweet from 2018.”

In order to prevent a recurrence of what happened at the levaya of HaRav Wosner, z’tl, [when a man was trampled to death and dozens were injured due to overcrowding], it should be forbidden to hold the hadlaka there before a new larger exit way is constructed.”