Why did the stampede on Israel's Mt. Meron happen? - DW News
In Israel, at least 44 people have been killed and around 150 others injured in a stampede at a religious gathering attended by tens of thousands.
It happened at Mount Meron in the northern part of the country - where ultra-Orthodox Jews were holding an all-night prayer and dance celebration.
Rapt in ecstatic song and dance, footage from social media shows the crowd at the annual Lag BaOmer celebration shortly before disaster struck.
At around one in the morning, eyewitnesses said they could feel a crush beginning to build.
Mayhem unfolded. Rescue teams rushed to the scene, ferrying the injured to ambulances.
Children separated from their parents were hoisted into the arms of emergency workers desperately trying to reunite them with their families.
Police closed off road access and the military was called in to assist efforts to clear the area.
Authorities say panic broke out on the steps in this narrow passageway after people slipped and fell - and those behind them stumbled. Many of the victims were either trampled or suffocated to death.
It was the first large-scale religious gathering to be held legally since Israel lifted most coronavirus restrictions. But despite their successful handling of the pandemic, health authorities had warned against holding an event of this size.
The Lag BaOmer religious festival is particularly popular with Israel's ultra-Orthodox community, which marks the anniversary of the death of Talmudic sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Police report nearly 100,000 people attended the gathering, which they say is four to five times as many should have been in a location like this.
Subscribe: www.youtube.com/user/deutschewelleenglish?sub_confirmation=1
For more news go to: www.dw.com/en/
Follow DW on social media:
►Facebook: www.facebook.com/deutschewellenews/
►Twitter: twitter.com/dwnews
►Instagram: www.instagram.com/dwnews
Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie: www.youtube.com/dwdeutsch
#Israel #LagBaOmer #UltraOrthodox
Bosco Verticale in Milan: the future of green architecture? - DW News.
An urban oasis opened ten years ago: This lush and leafy building is part of the Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) complex in Milan, Italy. It is one of two side-by-side buildings, together housing a total of more than 800 trees. Subscribe: For mo...
-
Hostages still being held as Israel prepares for Rafah offensive - DW News.
About 130 hostages remain unaccounted for after being kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 last year - at least 34 of them are presumed dead. The hostages captured or killed are believed to have been spread out among different members and factions of H...
-
US Supreme Court hears arguments on Trump immunity plea.
Donald Trump is hoping that the conservative-majority top court will save him from at least one of his legal woes. Meanwhile, a separate case over hush money charges is keeping him occupied in New York. The top US court heard arguments on Thursday...
-
Why has Weinstein's conviction been overturned? - DW News.
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned the 2020 conviction of disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein on sex crimes charges. The Court of Appeals ruled that the trial judge erred in admitting testimony from women who were not named ...
-
What Germany needs to kickstart its economy - DW Business.
Whether it’s industries crippled by high energy costs, labor market shortages, or an acute lack of progress in the areas of digitalization and innovation, the problems plaguing the German economy have been well documented. But what can be done to ...
-
