18 Palestinians injured in southern Israel pile-up
Three seriously hurt when van transporting workers collides with a car on Route 35
Eighteen Palestinian workers were injured in a car accident in southern Israel Tuesday that involved at least four vehicles, including the van transporting workers.
The pile-up began when the van crashed into a car, according to Hebrew media reports.
At least three of the injured in the multiple vehicle collision are in serious condition, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service.
The accident occurred on Route 35 in southern Israel near the Tarqumia checkpoint leading to the West Bank.
A spokesman for the United Hatzalah rescue service said that first responders arrived at the scene within minutes to treat the injured, some of whom had to be evacuated by helicopter.
Israel Defense Forces medical units also helped treat the injured, according to the United Hatzalah spokesman.
Forty-one people have been killed in car accidents in Israel in 2017, six more than were killed by this time last year, according to the National Road Safety Authority.
Figures released in January by the Central Bureau of Statistics showed that 376 people were killed in 2016 on Israel’s roads, compared to 356 in 2015.