(PHOTOS LINK IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) The preliminary investigation into the tragic bus accident indicates the bus driver was attempting an illegal pass of another bus, leading to the fatal incident in which the bus carrying tourists from St. Petersburg plummeted into a ravine, dropping some 70 meters. 26 people were killed and many others injured, some of them reported in serious condition.

Police investigators report that at this time, the speed the bus was traveling is yet undetermined but the theory of the illegal pass is confirmed by evidence at the scene as well as eyewitness reports. The bus spun out of control a number of witnesses recall in horror, stating the scene was a difficult one, seeing bodies thrown from the bus which landed on its side below, in the valley. The point of impact was in the area known as Mt. Yu’ash Canyon about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) north of Eilat.

Among the first to arrive on the scene was IDF Lt-Colonel Shaul Avidov, who stated the scene was one similar to a terror attack. He estimated about 50 people were thrown from the bus, most likely from the windows as the vehicle flipped its way down the mountain. Fortunately, the MDA Emergency Medical Service response was expeditious, and IDF assistance came rapidly from nearby bases.

IDF Captain Dr. Saba Saba, a senior physician assigned to the area, stated it did not take him and his team long to realize this was a most serious incident. Treating the injured was difficult due to the mountainous terrain. There were many obvious DOAs but there were also many requiring immediate life-saving care. The army immediately activated the air force rescue choppers and at least six helicopters were sent into action, deploying air rescue medical personnel specializing in treating combat wounded and extricating them from difficult situations under harsh conditions.

MDA immediately declared the incident a multi-causality event, activating pagers of all standby and off-duty personnel. The injured were taken to Eilat’s Yosef-Tal Hospital, and Health Ministry officials on Tuesday evening are calling on physicians, nurses and other medical personnel in the region to please come to the hospital to assist. At present, there are 34 victims being treated with 16 listed in serious condition.

Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva, the only trauma center in the south, is sending medical teams to Yosef-Tal in Eilat to assist. Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv had 100 units of blood flown to Yosef-Tal. 40 nurses of the Leumit HMO, who were attending an area conference, were sent to Yosef Tal to assist.

It appears the victims of the accident had arrived at Uvda Airport near Eilat and were on their way from the airport when the fatal accident occurred. MDA dispatchers received calls for the accident shortly before 3:00PM.  Apparently, the victims were a group of tour operators sponsored by Travel-Lux, coming to Israel to learn more about the country for future tours.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has established a situation room. Israel Police has also established a situation room and Police Chief Dudi Cohen was receiving real-time updates from the scene earlier in the day.

HOTLINE AND INFORMATION NUMBERS

Foreign Ministry Situation Room number is 02-666-4358

The Ministry of Tourism hotline number is 02-666-4358.

MDA hotline information number is 1-700-500-430.

The Jewish community of St. Petersburg established a situation room in the city’s central synagogue.

Zaka volunteers are operating on the scene, bringing the bodies to the Port of Eilat where a makeshift morgue has been established. The bodies will be identified and then flown back to Russia for burial. All arrangements are being coordinated with the Russian Embassy in Israel.

PHOTO LINK: CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS.

UPDATE 2:00PM EST: The Chabad shaliach in St. Petersburg a short time ago announced that at present, he is unaware of any Jews who were involved in the accident. (This may still change)

Below are the original alerts which were posted HERE on YWN as the story unfolded.

8:45AM EST: A bus packed with tourists flipped over, and rolled at least 70 yards down a ravine near the Ovda Army Base on the Eilat-Mitzpe Ramon Road in southern Eretz Yisroel.

Although details are still sketchy at this time, there are reportedly 50 people injured – some seriously. There are also reports of numerous fatalities R”L as well.

UPDATE 9:00AM EST: Reliable (but unconfirmed) sources tell YWN that as many as 27 people are feared dead in this horrific bus crash. A total of 6 IAF choppers are on the scene.

YWN has learned that the tourists arrived just two hours ago from an Eastern European country, to the airport located in Southern Israel.

UPDATE 10:08AM EST: There are 24 people confirmed dead, 33 people injured – of which 23 are in critical condition. Doctors from across Israel have been scrambled to hospitals to treat the injured. Massive response of Hatzolah, MDA, IDF, and ZAKA to the scene.

UPDATE 11:06AM EST: The bus which crashed was part of a group of 150 travel agents who just arrived on a tour of Israel. Conflicting reports of what caused the crash. A driver of a second bus travelling behind told Israel Radio that the driver was driving recklessly when the crash occurred. Other reports from eyewitnesses are that one bus passed another, causing him to lose control.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)