Israeli security officials and rescuers carry a body of a victim who died during Lag BaOmer celebrations at Mt Meron in northern Israel (AP Photo)More than 40 people have been killed in a stampede at a Jewish religious gathering in northern Israel, local authorities said. Motti Bukchin, spokesman for the Zaka ambulance service, told Channel 12 TV on Friday that 44 people were killed in the incident. The incident happened after midnight on Friday, and the cause of the stampede was not immediately clear. Israeli media had earlier reported that a grandstand collapsed, but the rescue service said all the injuries happened in a stampede. It was the first huge religious gathering to be held legally since Israel lifted nearly all restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: Irish Independent April 30, 2021 04:30 UTC