Bus driver killed in collision with tractor, over 20 passengers wounded, medics say

Wounded from crash on southern highway include a 61-year-old woman in serious condition; rescue service says bus was transporting group of girls to a field trip

A bus and tractor are seen after a crash on Route 25 in southern Israel on October 30, 2026. (Magen David Adom)

A bus driver was killed and over 20 passengers were wounded in a collision with a tractor Friday morning on Route 25, near the Shibolim agricultural community in southern Israel, medics said.

The Fire and Rescue Service said it was working to free people trapped on the bus. According to the service, the bus was transporting a group of girls to a field trip.

Magen David Adom said the driver, a roughly 50-year-old man, was declared dead on the scene after he was retrieved from the bus.

The ambulance service said the crash also seriously wounded a 61-year-old woman, moderately wounded a 35-year-old and lightly wounded 22 other people.

All the injured were rushed to either Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon or Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, MDA said.

Police said they were investigating the crash and working to reroute traffic.

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