Teen killed, 19 wounded in ordnance blast during school trip

Tamir, a member of the standby squad at Kibbutz Manara, near the blast site on the northern border, described the horrific moments he experienced at the scene in the minutes after the incident this afternoon.

Speaking with a Kan News reporter, he recounted that when he heard about the incident, "I flew there at speed in my vehicle and meanwhile I called Magen David Adom and the police and United Hatzalah. When I arrived I saw children scattered all over the scene, wounded. I started treating them, I had to take command because I was the only one there.

"Another fellow from United Hatzalah arrived with me and helped me there. People from Margaliot also arrived after me, I think. On the ground they didn't tell me what happened, apparently something exploded, I didn't even ask. I saw it was a mass-casualty incident. We performed resuscitation on one of the children and I made tourniquets for the rav and on two children and several youths who were there. They were wounded in the limbs, some were wounded in the chest. Ambulances arrived and I started directing them and then I started taking stretchers and loading the wounded and releasing the ambulances to the helicopters."

A boy of about 15 was pronounced dead, and some 19 others were wounded in varying degrees of injury — among them three seriously and about ten lightly to moderately. The explosion occurred at midday in open ground near Kibbutz Naot Mordechai in the Upper Galilee, during an annual trip by middle-school and high-school students.

Dvir Weisberg, a United Hatzalah medic who arrived at the scene and treated the wounded, reported: "This is a very severe incident, we are providing initial medical aid on the spot to a number of wounded in varying degrees of injury, among them: critically wounded, seriously and moderately."

Yitzhak Shoshan, director of the Jordan region for Magen David Adom, who was present at the scene, recounted minutes after the incident: "Upon receiving the report of an explosion in the field in the Upper Galilee Regional Council, we set out rapidly to the scene with large forces of ambulances, intensive-care units and an MDA helicopter that was also scrambled."

Extensive rescue and medical forces were immediately summoned to the site, alongside MDA helicopters and Air Force helicopters. The scene was immediately defined as a mass-casualty incident, and large security forces streamed to the area to isolate the ground and rule out further dangers. According to reports, three Air Force helicopters were scrambled to evacuate the wounded.

Evacuation in the north (Photo: Section 27a)

A yeshiva student, who studies in a grade that did not go on the trip, was quoted in Hayom and reported on the difficult feelings: "We still don't know the full picture, we're in shock. It's a small school where everyone knows everyone." He explained that some of the students went out to the field without mobile phones, which makes it difficult to make contact and receive information about their condition.

Eliyahu, father of one of the students who were on the trip, said he spoke with his son who was metres away from the explosion. He described how suddenly an explosion was heard and he ran. The father of one of the students told Midday Edition on Channel 12 that the trip was organised and approved. "I ask that prayers be dedicated to all the wounded," the father said.

Chossen (emergency and mental support) teams from United Hatzalah provided initial aid to a number of anxiety victims on the spot and are waiting for the rest of the group to arrive at the assembly point. Shir'el Levy, a Chossen volunteer at United Hatzalah, recounted: "We are waiting at the assembly point for the rest of the group, we are working in cooperation with the Municipality of Ma'alot. The medic and Chossen teams of United Hatzalah are ready to assist the students, teachers and parents as needed."

According to a preliminary assessment, it's likely that this is old ordnance that was left in open ground. The circumstances are under criminal and security investigation by army and police authorities, in parallel with treatment for the victims.

The Prime Minister's Office reported shortly after the incident: "Prime Minister Netanyahu was updated on the details of the severe incident in the north and spoke with MDA Director-General Eli Bin, with Education Minister Yoav Kisch and with his military secretary. The Prime Minister asked to ensure that the wounded are being evacuated as quickly as possible to the hospitals and continues to hold ongoing situation assessments."