Meron in Israel: More than 30 people die in mass panic at Jewish festival

[Sirona]

According to rescue workers, at least 38 people were killed in a mass panic at a Jewish festival in northern Israel. The spokesman for an ambulance service spoke early Friday morning of an “incredible disaster”.

Meron in Israel: More than 30 people die in mass panic at the Jewish festival

 

[Harel13]

44 at the last count, plus hundreds more injured.

 

[Estro Felino]

It is too heartbreaking.

 

[danieldemol]

According to rescue workers, at least 38 people were killed in a mass panic at a Jewish festival in northern Israel. The spokesman for an ambulance service spoke early Friday morning of an “incredible disaster”.

Meron in Israel: More than 30 people die in mass panic at the Jewish festival

Apparently Health Ministry officials had urged Israelis not to travel to Mount Meron, worried the festivities could lead to mass coronavirus contagion.1

1 - 45 crushed to death, over 150 hurt in stampede at mass Lag B’Omer event in Meron

 

[Twilight Hue]

What caused the panic in the first place?

 

[Harel13]

What caused the panic in the first place?

I don't know if "panic" is the right word. Every year there are huge crowds in Meron celebrating Lag B'Omer. Apparently, one particular crowd were squashed into too small a place. Someone, or even several people must have fallen at some point, and they were crushed to death. At the same time, it seems that perhaps other people were crushed to death while standing, because they were unable to breathe. At some point it seems people realized that people next to them were dying.
As far as I'm aware, this has never happened in Meron before.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I don't know if "panic" is the right word. Every year there are huge crowds in Meron celebrating Lag B'Omer. Apparently, one particular crowd were squashed into too small a place. Someone, or even several people must have fallen at some point, and they were crushed to death. At the same time, it seems that perhaps other people were crushed to death while standing, because they were unable to breathe. At some point it seems people realized that people next to them were dying.
As far as I'm aware, this has never happened in Meron before.

I heard this was probably due to the event being cancelled last year because of Covid and this year more people showed up than expected.

 

[Stevicus]

Religious festival stampede in Israel kills 45, hurts dozens (apnews.com)

This article gives some information about what caused the tragedy:

The stampede began when large numbers of people thronged a narrow tunnel-like passage during the event, according to witnesses and video footage. People began falling on top of each other near the end of the walkway, as they descended slippery metal stairs, witnesses said.

One of the injured, Avraham Leibe, told Israeli public broadcaster Kan that a crush of people trying to descend the mountain caused a “general bedlam” on a slippery metal slope followed by stairs. “Nobody managed to halt,” he said from a hospital bed. “I saw one after the other fall.”

Video footage showed large numbers of people, most of them black-clad ultra-Orthodox men, squeezed in the tunnel. Initial reports and witnesses said police barricades had prevented people from exiting quickly.

Apparently, there was a narrow tunnel-like passage that people went through, and they had to descend slippery metal stairs. There was a crush of people trying to descend and people started falling.

For some reason, the police had barricades which prevented people from exiting quickly.

It's not clear why there were barricades in the first place.

Netanyahu was jeered by dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters, who blamed the government and police for the tragedy.

Velvel Brevda, a rabbi who witnessed the stampede, accused police of putting up barriers that had prevented people from leaving through exits that were usually open in past years.

“Where should we leave from?” he said. “And the officers who were there couldn’t care less.”

He said the government was responsible for the deaths of “beautiful holy Jews that were killed here for no reason whatsoever, just to prove a point that they’re in charge of this place instead of the Orthodox Jews being in charge.”

At least 45 people were killed, according to the Israeli Health Ministry, with four people remaining in critical condition.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

From The Times of Israel:

The event is believed to be the worst peacetime tragedy in modern Israeli history, with a death toll higher than the 44 who lost their lives in the 2010 Mount Carmel forest fire.​

It continues ...

A police official said the incident was centered on a slippery walkway, with a metal floor, where crowding was at a height. (The harrowing videos below show some of the unfolding tragedy.)

Large numbers of participants in a concert had been moving through the walkway, which was on an incline, many of them “slipped,” falling on those below them, causing a crushing domino effect, the official said.​

 

[Harel13]

I heard this was probably due to the event being cancelled last year because of Covid and this year more people showed up than expected.

Would make sense.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Here is another Times of Israel report. Also, here is another well worth noting.

 

[sun rise]

Here is another Times of Israel report. Also, here is another well worth noting.

Arab towns offer food, drink to Meron survivors; hundreds give blood in Tel Aviv

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

And finally, tragically, there is this bitter irony:

A PRINTING MISTAKE AND THE MYSTERIOUS ORIGINS OF RASHBI’S YAHRZEIT​

 

[Hockeycowboy]

You know, I’ve wondered about that scenario, being in a crowd with the Covid worry going on.

What if several in the group started coughing, and to get away from them, a panic ensued.

Is that likely?

No comments?

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Here is another Times of Israel report. Also, here is another well worth noting.

How great it is, that in this situation, divisive tribal mentalities and politics take a backseat to compassion!
After all, at the end of the day, we’re all one people...part of one human race.