14 camels killed by train in Negev

A group of 14 camels were killed in the Negev on Tuesday night, when they were hit by an Israel Railways train traveling from Dimona to Beersheba.

The incident, which occurred near the Segev Shalom Junction, led to massive delays for train travellers, although the train involved continued on its way and completed its journey without additional incident.

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A train worker called the police to inform them of the freak accident and the on-duty officer and crime scene investigator made their way to the site of the collision. They were joined by the crash scene investigators and forensic specialists.

The police are currently working with veterinary officials to locate the camels' owner, in an effort to understand how the animals were able to get on to the tracks.

Israel Railways said in a statement that, "animals wandering on the tracks do get hit by passing trains from time to time. The breaking distance for a train is 800 meters, hence the train conductor had no possibility to break before impact."

It further noted that "these types of events cause delays because there is a need to make certain that the collisions did not include pedestrians. More so, the conductor must also exit the train and make sure it did not sustain any damage. During this incident, after such an examination, the train continued on its path."

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