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ZAKA volunteers in South Africa were engaged in chasses shel emmes on last Thursday, the result of a fatal motor vehicle accident (MVA) involving a local Jewish family on a roadway several hours from Johannesburg. Five family members were in a vehicle. A 13-year-old girl was killed R”L and the others injured, one listed as serious, two moderate and one light.

ZAKA S. Africa headed by Daniel Nirtam responded including transport of the injured to a private hospital providing life-saving care while simultaneously working towards the release of the victim for kvura. Within two days, on motzei Shabbos, after a significant amount of behind the scenes arrangements by ZAKA, one member boarded a NEtcare911 flight to bring the injured and the nifteres to Johannesburg.

ZAKA officials report that they were also involved in arranging to tow the family vehicle back to Johannesburg, an over six-hour drive. In Johannesburg the ZAKA team worked to clear the blood and more from the vehicle for kvura in line with the viewpoint of machmirim (stringent).

ZAKA reports the organization also became involved in locating family members of the injured who were traveling to update them on the tragedy and plan the levaya. The levaya was held on Sunday 11 Kislev at 2:00PM in the Johannesburg Jewish Cemetery in the presence of family.

Director of ZAKA International Mati Goldstein explains that “Once again ZAKA International proved its ability to respond instantly, the result of intensive training…”

Please say Tehillim for (mother) Rus bas Sara, (Father) Moshe ben Devora, (Sister) Tehila Miriam bas Rus, (Brother) Shmuel Yaakov ben Rus.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)