In one of the worst civilian disasters in Ithe country’s history, at least 44 people have died in a stampede at the pilgrimage site of Mount Meron, northern Israel.
The deadly crushes began in predawn hours around 1 am Friday when pilgrims began to pour out of a section of the compound where festivities were being held. The festival, Lag b’Omer, is a holiday popular with ultra-Orthodox Jews that honors Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a 2dn Century sage and mystic who is buried at the base of the Mount Meron. The tomb is a holy site. Over 1 lakh Jews were assembled here when the tragedy took place.
The bodies are being taken to a single location for identification and will be buried before sundown of the Jewish Sabbath, when funerals do not take place.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “great tragedy” and said everyone was praying for the victims. The festival of Lag b’Omer ends Friday evening.
