A bus carrying a group of Chareidi girls on a Friday morning trip was involved in a devastating accident in southern Israel, leaving the driver dead and more than 20 passengers injured.

The accident occurred on Highway 25 near the entrance to Moshav Shibolim and the Beit HaGadi junction in the Negev, when the bus collided with a tractor.

The force of the collision severely damaged the front of the bus, trapping the driver and several passengers inside.

Firefighters from Netivot rushed to the scene and carried out a complex rescue operation to free those trapped in the wreckage.

The bus driver, a man approximately 50 years old, was found unconscious with critical injuries. Magen David Adom paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. ZAKA volunteers were dispatched to handle the deceased with dignity.

Emergency medical teams treated numerous injured passengers. MDA reported that a 61-year-old woman was seriously injured, a 35-year-old woman sustained moderate injuries, and 22 others suffered light injuries. Earlier reports provided differing injury totals and classifications.

MDA paramedics described arriving to find the bus lodged against the rear of the tractor, with extensive damage to its front. Rescue teams worked to stabilize the injured and evacuate them to hospitals.

Police closed Highway 25 to westbound traffic following the accident, while traffic investigators launched an investigation into the circumstances of the deadly collision.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)