Three Israelis killed in Swiss accident were from same village, include senior police officer
Five other passengers seriously wounded when their minvan was hit by train; local police: crossing had warning light but no barrier.
The three Israelis killed Monday when their minvan was hit by a train in Switzerland have been named as three residents of the same village, and included a senior police officer.
Chief Superintendent Amal Khalil, 53, the head of investigations for northern district police; Ataf Khaj, 48, a police investigator, and Nasif Bader, 52, were killed and five other people were injured in the collision. All three were from the village of Maghar in northern Israel.
"This disaster has shocked us all," said a statement by the families of the victims.
Police in central Switzerland said the incident occurred near the town of Wolfenschiessen, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Zurich. They said the rail crossing had a warning light but no barrier. None of the passengers on the Lucerne-bound train were hurt.
Large rescue forces were dispatched to the scene to provide initial first aid to the injured.
"The vehicle in which the Israelis travelled apparently hit the train for an unknown reason and three were killed," a source in the Israeli consulate in Switzerland said. "In addition to the casualties, there are some wounded in different conditions. There is still a lot that remains unclear, like the nationality of some of the wounded, which is still being checked by the local police."
The minibus passengers were trapped inside and their rescue took a long time, according to the local police.
