The minibus
Photo: Reuters
Behira Noema
Georgia accident casualties arrive in Israel
Fourteen casualties of minibus crash return to Israel. One woman killed; two suffer serious injuries, seven hurt moderately
The Boeing 737 organized by the Georgian government to transport the Israelis injured in an accident which took place near Kutaisi Sunday morning, landed at Ben Gurion International Airport in the small hours of Monday morning.
Fourteen Israeli tourists traveling to Kutaisi, the second largest city in Georgia, were hurt when the minibus they were on crashed into a roving truck in the mountain roads of Imereti province.
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Crash
Ronen Medzini
Minibus carrying 14 Israelis crashes headlong into truck; diplomatic sources say 58-year old woman was killed. Georgia says will evacuate some injured, two of which sustained severe wounds, to Israel using Boeing 737
Behira Noema, 58, from Kiryat Ata was killed in the accident. Her husband who was with her at the time was wounded.
Georgian ambassador to Israel, Vakhtang Jaoshvili told Ynet that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili personally intervened in order to make the flight possible: "We feel very warmly towards Israel and the decision was made to help as swiftly as possible. All flight expenses and medical care will be financed by the Georgian government."
Among the 13 wounded Israelis two are in serious condition, seven in moderate condition and three who are lightly wounded, suffering from fractures.
Magen David Adom stated that the wounded will be transferred to the Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem, the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, the Shiba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer and the Soraski Medical Center in Tel Aviv.
Talking to Ynet, Aryeh Rabinowitz, a Noema family friend, said that he thought the worst when he heard news of the crash. "I called the travel agency and after confirming my identity they told me that our best friend had died in the crash and that her husband was wounded.
Rabinowitz was supposed to join the trip but cancelled a few weeks ago. "We were next door neighbors for nearly 30 years, we raised our children together, and when they left the neighborhood a few years ago we kept in touch and went on trips together."
According to information given to Rabinowitz by the travel agency, the truck traveling in the opposite lane suddenly swerved as it approached the bus, and upon trying to correct itself, dropped cargo on top of the minibus.
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz thanked his Georgian counterpart Vera Kobalia for her assistance and decision to send a rescue plane to evacuate the Israeli casualties.
Minister Katz noted that "this was a move that made things much easier for the Israeli families and is an additional expression of the close and warm ties between the two countries."
Hagai Einav, Ronen Medzini and Boaz Fyler contributed to this report
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