NORTHERN ISRAEL — Teenagers who survived a deadly explosion during a school hike in northern Israel have described treating wounded classmates, improvising medical equipment and trying to save lives after a munition detonated, killing one of their friends.

The students, all around 15 years old, recounted the ordeal in a report broadcast by Israel’s Channel 14.

The explosion occurred Oct. 12 during an annual outing by students and teachers from ORT Ma’alot Yeshiva High School in the Ramim Ridge area near the Lebanese border. Thirteen-year-old Elazar Yair Wilensky, a ninth-grade student, was killed, and 24 others were injured, according to Israeli media reports.

The students said they had encountered military debris during the hike and were accustomed to finding remnants of rockets and other munitions in the area following the war. One student recalled that Elazar had picked up an object earlier in the outing, but they did not recognize the danger it posed.

The blast struck as the group prepared for afternoon prayers, the students told Channel 14. They described an enormous explosion followed by confusion, with some students fleeing while others lay wounded on the ground.

One teenager said he initially thought a terrorist attack had occurred. Another recalled ringing in his ears for about two minutes after the blast.

With emergency responders still on their way, the students said they began assisting the injured using whatever supplies they could find. One teenager called his father, a combat medic, who instructed him to focus on controlling bleeding.

The student then moved among the casualties, including a teacher who had suffered serious injuries and was struggling to communicate. He asked the teacher to give him a thumbs-up and squeeze his hand to confirm he was conscious.

When another classmate needed urgent help to control bleeding, the student used a belt as an improvised tourniquet. Other teenagers also removed their belts to help treat the wounded, according to the report.

Several of the students who assisted their classmates were injured themselves. One described shrapnel wounds near his neck and shoulder, while others reported injuries to their legs, hands, chest and head.

“Everyone was a hero,” one student said, reflecting on how his classmates responded despite their injuries and shock.

The teenagers also spoke about the loss of Elazar, whom they remembered as cheerful, funny and curious. One classmate said he was the friend everyone wanted around when they planned activities or gathered for fun.

An initial Israeli military investigation indicated that the explosive was likely a cluster-bomb submunition from a Hezbollah rocket that had failed to detonate during the fighting, according to The Times of Israel. Investigators said the device exploded after a student picked it up.

The tragedy prompted authorities to temporarily halt school hikes along the northern border while safety concerns were reviewed. The Education Ministry subsequently lifted the suspension on Oct. 15, allowing trips to resume with renewed instructions prohibiting students from touching suspicious objects or unexploded ammunition.

The incident has also raised questions about the safety of hiking routes in an area affected by the war and the handling of unexploded military debris.