Friday, December 03, 2010

Devastating Fire Hits Israel

Click HERE for a short video report with stunning visuals


The worst forest fire in Israel's history devastated the Carmel forest in Israel's Galilee, killing at least 36 guards on their way to rescue inmates at a prison in the fire zone, destroying homes and forcing the evacuation of thousands. Most of the 41 dead were students on the Prison Service's guards' course racing through the fire toward a prison to evacuate the inmates, most of them Palestinians. A tree fell across the road, blocking their bus. Some guards were burned alive inside, while others died as they tried to flee.
(AP-Ha'aretz)


International Community Sends Help in Fighting Fire -Yaakov Lappin

The first of 23 international aircraft carrying firefighters, supplies and fire retardant chemicals landed in Israel. According to Army Radio, in addition to four Greek aircraft, four aircraft are expected to arrive from France, three from Britain, two from Spain, two from Russia, two from Turkey, two from Cyprus, two from Bulgaria, one from Croatia and one from Azerbaijan.
(Jerusalem Post)


Eyewitness Accounts of the Fire -Adi Sardas

"The sights were horrifying, a true apocalypse. I saw flames as high as 50 meters," said Magen David Adom ambulance driver Pninit Boyev. IDF paramedic Daria Nicolyenko was called to the site where the Prison Service bus was burned. "I saw dozens of bodies lying on the ground, and I realized no one survived. It was horrifying."

A Prison Service course cadet from Kiryat Ata, Shlomi Cohen, was lightly hurt and hospitalized at Rambam Hospital. "He hasn't stopped crying about his dead friends," said his father, Avi. "He's crying and crying nonstop. Almost the entire course is gone. He said there are only three or four survivors."
(Ynet News)
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