A stampede at a religious festival attended by tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews in northern Israel killed at least 45 people and injured about 150 early Friday, medical officials said. WATCH | Dozens injured at Israeli religious gathering:Stampede at religious gathering in Israel CBC News 0:34 Eyewitness video shows worshippers pulling down barriers at a religious bonfire festival in northern Israel on Friday after a stampede at the base of Mount Meron. 0:34The stampede occurred during the celebrations of Lag BaOmer at Mount Meron, the first mass religious gathering to be held legally since Israel lifted nearly all restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. Ultra Orthodox Jews look at stairs with waste on it Friday in Mount Meron, northern Israel. In the night from Thursday to Friday, cellphone coverage around Mount Meron had collapsed for hours and emergency hotlines were overwhelmed with phone calls.

Source: CBC News April 30, 2021 00:00 UTC