An unusual incident occurred at a military base in southern Israel on Sunday when a bus carrying soldiers from the Givati Brigade’s reconnaissance unit caught fire shortly after the troops were evacuated.
Video from the scene showed the bus engulfed in flames as secondary explosions were heard. The blasts may have been caused by a gas cylinder stored in the luggage compartment alongside ammunition, though the IDF said the fire was apparently caused by a technical malfunction.
A bus of the Givati Brigade’s reconnaissance unit catches fire at Mishmar HaNegev base
(Video: from social media)
No injuries were reported, and the military said it was investigating the circumstances of the incident.
The bus had initially been filled with soldiers preparing to leave the Mishmar HaNegev base for a training exercise at the Tze’elim training base in southern Israel.
At one point, one of the soldiers noticed a strong smell of gas, prompting the immediate evacuation of everyone aboard. The bus caught fire shortly afterward.
“Earlier today, a fire broke out at a military base in southern Israel, apparently as a result of a technical malfunction in a vehicle,” the IDF said in a statement. “IDF forces, assisted by Fire and Rescue Services personnel, brought the incident under control and extinguished the fire.”
The military said the blaze caused minor property damage but no injuries.
“The incident is under investigation,” the IDF said.