Dead Sea flash floods in Israel kill nine teenage hikers

Friday, April 27, 2018

A flash flood in southern Israel killed nine 18-year-old hikers and left one missing, sweeping them away in Nahal Tzafit.

Israel media mentioned that the hikers belonged to a group of around 25, who were members of a pre-army preparatory program. Some 15 other hikers were also rescued, two of them were reportedly suffering from hypothermia.

They were being treated at Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva, as reported by a regional newspaper of Israel.

The group had been walking close to the Tzafit stream close to the Dead Sea when suddenly the flood struck. One of the rescued students told the media that the group was unable to escape the strong current and consequently swept away by the river.

The newspaper has mentioned that of the nine teenagers who died, eight were women.

Army rescue helicopters and the driving unit of the fire brigade are looking for the missing hiker who is believed to be a young woman. The director general of the Magen David Adom medical rescue service said that they are presently extending their best efforts to find the missing person before it gets dark.

Police spokesperson Meirav Lapidot said authorities were “preparing for a long night of search and rescue operations”.

Weather agencies had issues flood warnings for the area following unusually heavy rainfall on Wednesday. Reuven Rivlin who is the president of Israel said that the security and rescue forces would be supported and called on the public to follow instructions given by the police.

Israeli authorities named the nine teenagers who were killed on Thursday as Ella Or, from the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim; Gali Belali, from the central city of Givatayim; Agam Levi, from Moshav Herut in central Israel; Shani Samir, from the central town of Shoham; Adi Ra’anan, from the coastal community of Mikhmoret; Yael Sadan and Maayan Barhum from Jerusalem; Romi Cohen, from Moshav Maor in the north and Tzur Alfi, from the central town of Mazkeret Batya.

The communities are working hard to establish a support network for families and friends struggling to cope with the loss of their loved ones.

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