Bus overturns on major Israeli highway, 2 killed, 41 injured

A commuter bus careened to a stop on its side, impaled on a guard rail on the shoulder of a major Israeli highway, killing 2 Israelis and injuring at least 41.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel Police confirmed Sunday morning that a bus overturned near Modiin following a collision with a passenger vehicle.

The bus finally came to a halt on its side, with a section of guard rail piercing its roof.

At least 41 people were injured in the accident, with one person in serious condition and two others confirmed dead, according to first responders from the ZAKA rescue organization.

The bus was traveling on Route 443 at the time of the accident, ferrying passengers to the Tel Aviv suburbs.

The accident occurred when an private vehicle stopped suddenly in front of the bus in order to help an accident in the other lane.

“There was an accident on the opposite lane towards Modiin Illit, and a car was stuck in the concrete wall that separates the two lanes,” one of the witnesses told Channel 12 news. “A car pulled over and the bus was behind it, and the vehicle stopped abruptly, and then the bus stopped quickly, crashed into it, and turned over.”

Several passengers remained trapped inside the bus following the collision, while some of the injured were immediately taken to Jerusalem’s primary emergency centers at Har Hatzofim, Shaarei Tzedek and Hadassah Ein Kerem hospitals.

In addition to EMS teams from ZAKA, Magan David Adom, and United Hatzalah, Deputy Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman arrived on the scene shortly after the accident, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The police closed Route 443 to traffic east of the Maccabim checkpoint to address the accident and ensure all injured parties were safely evacuated.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “I was briefed a short time ago about the serious accident on Route 443. I am strengthening the security forces, rescue and rescue forces currently engaged in the rescue and treatment of the wounded.”