Two Israelis in their 40s were killed in a single-vehicle crash in the Malibu area of Los Angeles, California. The fatal accident has shaken the local Israeli community, and the families of the victims are said to be in deep mourning.
After the report came in, ZAKA’s international unit began working immediately with local U.S. authorities and with the victims’ families. The volunteers, who specialize in disaster scenes around the world, are helping with the complex identification process, the required documentation, and the arrangements needed to transfer the bodies to Israel for burial.
The work is being carried out in full coordination with American authorities and in close cooperation with the Israeli consulate in the area. ZAKA deputy operations director Chaim Weingarten said, “The international unit of ZAKA is working in cooperation with the local authorities in the United States and is accompanying the families in everything required. We are assisting with identification procedures and advancing the necessary steps for the continued handling of the case.”
Local authorities are still investigating the exact circumstances of the crash. Malibu, on the Pacific Coast, is known for its winding and dangerous roads. The article notes that the Los Angeles area is a major center for Israelis and Jews in the United States, and that several serious accidents involving Israelis have occurred there in recent years, including the death of a 4-year-old Haredi girl in Los Angeles after she was left for hours in a hot car outside her school.
