Among the dead in the horrific bus crash involving a number 947 bus traveling from Jerusalem to Haifa on Sunday night, the first night of Chanukah, were chareidim; a resident of Elad and a woman apparently from the north. The process of identifying the victims continued throughout the night and Monday.
The scene at the crash site, near Bedek Interchange in the area of Ben-Gurion Airport was a difficult one, and ZAKA volunteers operated on the scene ensuring kovod hameis for about four hours. Initial reports on Sunday night were of four dead and 18 injured in the crash, and it is now known that some of the dead were chareidim who began their trip from Jerusalem.
One of the dead is an Elad resident who in the past lived in Petach Tikvah. A woman, apparently a chareidi living in the north, was also on the bus along with two young women.
The 947 bus from Jerusalem to Haifa was traveling its regular route and a short while after El Al Junction, the driver lost control and slammed into a concrete hitching station and the roof of the bus was torn away by the concrete pillars, leading to the deaths R”L.
All the bodies were taken to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute where efforts continue to make positive identifications, after which families will be notified.
The driver, a 44-year-old Haifa resident, was arrested and he was questioned while hospitalized in Beilinson Hospital. The driver is expected to be arraigned on Monday in a Rishon L’Tzion court and police will be asking that he be held without bail. Police are checking to determine if he was using his phone while operating the bus.
Three women and a man in their 30s and 50s were killed in the crash as the bus slammed into concrete pillars. 14 persons were injured according to police, including a 67-year-old woman and a 19-year-old girl, both listed in serious condition. The victims were transported to Sheba, Assaf HaRofeh, Beilinson and Sharon Hospitals. Five of the victims were released during the night from Assaf HaRofeh Hospital.
Since the beginning of the year, 34 people were killed in accidents involving buses. In 2018, the number of deaths in accidents involving buses stood at 33. There have been 27 accidents involving buses since the beginning of 2019 and 2018 ended with 29 bus-involved accidents.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
May the cholim (even the non-chareidim) have a quick and complete recovery.
Chareidim Among the Fatalities…Seriously YWN?
A Jew is a Jew.
Is there a list of names for the injured so we can daven for them?
Please include the names of the non-Charedim as well. Many of us don’t differentiate.
Your headline seems to.
I repeat my comments on the earlier story here, since this one will probably get more attention.
This emphasizes the need to use seat belts even on buses. They may help only once in 10,000 times, but that one time, which is unpredictable, they can literally save lives and justify the bother of using them all the other times. If anyone hears followup as to whether the authorities studied whether seatbelts would have helped in this incident please report on it. Hashem yismereinu.
por December 22, 2019 8:13 pm at 8:13 pm
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I’ve noted that most Egged buses do NOT have seatbelts, while almost all buses from all the other companies do have them. Does anyone know what’s going on here?
I’ve written to MDA asking if their workers who were at the scene can estimate if seatbelts would have made a difference and am waiting for a reply.
WONDER IF THE DRIVER WAS TEXTING……. SEEN THAT BEFORE WHEN SITTING BEHIND DRIVER
Can someone explain to me why it’s important that they are charedim. There was a horrific tragedy Jews were killed. The headline that is used here promotes sinas yisroel.
Why is it necessary to mention charedim killed? Jews were killed, why specify if they were frum or not? Aren’t their deaths horrific enough? A Jew is a Jew. This is a tragedy no matter how frum or frei they were. May He spare the families and all klal yisroel from further tzaar.
I am Chareidi myself and I don’t understand this article, any Jew who gets hurt is real news to me, it does not make a difference at all if the person is Mizrachi , Bnei Akiva, Chareidi, Chasidish, even if they are not Frum, they are the children of the Almighty and if they get hurt , we should all pray for them to have a speedy recovery.
I agree with many of the Replies!! This is not the first time this issue was brought to YWN’s attention!!! It is a Chillel Hashem already !!! WE ARE ALL JEWS !!! What is this labeling garbage of calling Jews “CHAREDIM” For Heavens sake, JEWS WERE INJURED and EVEN died !!! What need was it to say Charedi Jews were among the injured ???? Years ago observant Jews were called Torah observing Jews, or Religious Jews. I am embarrassed !! I guess you can behave the way you want, but as long as you are wearing a Hat & Jacket, or Frock & Shtrimel, that makes you are Charedi!! What is happening to the Jewish people????? Oh I meant Chareidi people????
So called orthodox jewdism has lost its way
A Jewish person is more holy than the kodesh kodoshim