Bus Driver Killed, 30 Injured in Negev Collision

A bus driver died and approximately 30 people were injured in a serious road accident involving a bus and a tractor on Route 25 in the Negev region of Israel on Friday morning. The collision occurred near the entrance to Moshav Shivolim. Emergency services, including fire, rescue, and ambulance crews, were dispatched to the scene. The bus was carrying a group of young women on their way to a trip when the accident happened, trapping several passengers, the bus driver, and the tractor driver.

Fire and rescue teams successfully extricated three young women who were trapped inside the bus, all of whom were conscious. The bus driver, however, was pronounced dead at the scene. Rescue operations continued to free the trapped tractor driver. A helicopter was used to evacuate the injured to hospitals.

Magen David Adom reported that paramedics treated the bus driver, a man around 50 years old, who was unconscious with multiple injuries. They also provided medical care to several bus passengers with varying degrees of injuries. ZAKA reported around 30 injured individuals, some in serious or critical condition.

Later updates indicated that 19 passengers with minor injuries were treated and transported to Soroka and Barzilai hospitals by Magen David Adom. Search operations were ongoing. The Fire and Rescue Authority confirmed their teams worked to free trapped individuals from the bus.

The Israeli Police stated that their Southern District forces arrived at the scene and are cooperating with emergency teams. Route 25 was closed to westbound traffic, and traffic police managed the flow of vehicles. Accident investigators have begun an inquiry into the circumstances of the crash.