2 die in crash on Mitzpe Ramon-Eilat highway

Two people in their 20s are killed and five others are hurt, two seriously, in a collision between two cars on the road from Mitzpe Ramon to Eilat.

Medics rush to the site of the accident to administer first aid. Rescue personnel say they found one of the cars on fire and its occupants in need of extraction.

The Magen David Adom emergency service says the burning car held four people in their 20s, including the two fatalities. The other two passengers are being treated for minor injuries.

The driver of the second car, a 60-year-old man, is being treated for moderate injuries, while two women, aged 34 and 60, are in serious condition.

Route 40 is closed in both directions, with police directing cars to alternate routes.