Jordan: Israeli killed, 35 injured in road accident
Foreign Ministry says group of pensioners from Ramat Gan evacuated to Jordanian hospitals after bus they were traveling on flipped over due to stormy weather. MDA ambulances, IDF choppers help evacuate injured to Israeli hospitals
One person was killed and 34 were injured Friday in a road accident in Jordan involving a bus carrying pensioners from the central Israeli city of Ramat Gan.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved a request to have the Israel Defense Forces evacuate the injured on military choppers and ambulances. A "Yasur" helicopter was expected to enter Jordanian territory to evacuate the people who sustained serious wounds in the accident.
The accident occurred at around 2:45 pm in the Dabbah area. The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem was informed about it by Jordanian authorities only two hours later. The situation room was opened and Magen David Adom emergency services were notified.
The Foreign Ministry reported that the injured were evacuated to local hospitals. Representatives of the Israeli Embassy in Amman traveled to the hospitals to visit the Israelis. Ten of the injured were said to be in moderate to serious condition and the rest in light condition.
Twenty-two ambulances and two rescue helicopters were dispatched to the border crossings to take the injured to Israeli hospitals. Jordanian ambulances were expected to transfer the injured to the crossing, where they would be picked up by Israeli rescue teams.
Injured Israelis receive medical treatment (Photo: Bokra website)
Muhammad al-Khatib, a representative of the general security administration in Jordan, said that the accident occurred after the bus driver lost control of the vehicle due to the stormy weather, causing it to flip over. According to local reports, the tourists were on their way to Petra.
Senior Jordanian sources told Ynet that the injured Israelis were being handled by Jordanian government officials, including members of the Jordanian Foreign Service and Tourism Ministry, who "are doing all in their power to help the injured."
According to estimates, most of the Israelis were lightly injured. Those who sustained serious wounds were transferred to the King Hussein Medical Center, Jordan's leading hospital.
MDA Director-General Eli Bin said that the accident occurred in a place located about half an hour from the Allenby Bridge. He said the injured would be evacuated to hospitals in Jerusalem and Afula.
The Israel Airports Authorities reported that all border crossings between Israel and Jordan would remain open throughout the night until the evacuation is completed.
Hanan Greenberg, Roee Nahmias, Ronen Medzini and Ahuva Mamos contributed to this report
