Full coverage· Security· Updated 09:40

Bus Driver Killed, Dozens Injured in Devastating Southern Israel Crash

A bus driver was killed and dozens of passengers, mostly schoolgirls on a trip, were injured on Friday morning, 30 October 2026, when their bus collided with a tractor on Highway 25 in the Negev. The accident occurred near the Beit HaGadi junction and the entrance to Moshav Shibolim.

25 newsrooms · 4 languages · since 08:13

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What happened

01A bus driver was killed and dozens of passengers were injured in a collision with a tractor on Highway 25 in the Negev on Friday morning.
02The bus was carrying a group of schoolgirls on an outing when the crash occurred near Moshav Shibolim and the Beit HaGadi junction.
03The bus driver, a man in his 50s, was found unconscious with multi-system trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene.
04Firefighters from the Netivot station worked to extricate several trapped passengers from the wreckage of the bus.
05According to Ynetnews, 23 passengers sustained minor injuries, while two others were trapped in moderate condition.
06Emergency services evacuated 15 injured individuals to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva and eight to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.
07Police closed Highway 25 to westbound traffic and launched an investigation into the circumstances of the collision.

Emergency medical services, including Magen David Adom, United Hatzalah, and ZAKA, rushed to the scene alongside fire and rescue teams. Firefighters from the Netivot station worked to extricate several passengers who were trapped inside the bus. The bus driver, a man in his 50s, was found unconscious with multi-system trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene.

While early reports estimated around 30 injuries, final counts indicated that between 20 and 23 passengers were injured. According to Ynetnews, 23 passengers sustained minor injuries, while two others were trapped in moderate condition. Emergency teams evacuated 15 of the injured to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva and eight to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon.

Police officers and traffic accident investigators arrived at the scene to launch an investigation into the cause of the collision. The highway was closed to westbound traffic, with police directing vehicles around the area.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 14 newsrooms. Updated 09:02