Israel observed a day of mourning on Sunday for 45 people who died in a crush at a Jewish religious festival. More than 20 of the victims of Friday’s disaster on Mount Meron were buried overnight after official identification was completed. Evidence was mounting that it was a disaster waiting to happen at a pilgrimage site that state investigators had labelled years ago as hazardous. Police and regional government officials said the Mount Meron site was administered by four separate private religious groups, making oversight difficult. Condolences poured in from leaders around the world, including US president Joe Biden and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

Source: The Irish Times May 02, 2021 08:03 UTC