A woman in her mid-20s was critically injured Friday after being trapped beneath a bus that crashed into a shop at Kfar HaYishuv Square in Ramat Gan. Another woman, about 60, was moderately injured, and eight others suffered minor injuries, emergency services said.
The bus driver told investigators he mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake and lost control while turning. He was detained for questioning, and a traffic accident investigator is examining his account. The Shin Bet security agency is also involved in reviewing the incident.
The scene of the incident
(Phtoo: Dana Kopel, Maya Cohen)
Footage from the scene showed extensive damage to the storefront and debris scattered across the area.
“I suddenly heard a loud screech and people screaming,” said Yaron, who was nearby at the time of the crash. “Within seconds, people ran toward the street trying to understand what had happened and help the injured. It was terrifying.”
Another witness, Yael, said the events unfolded in moments. “Everything happened in seconds. There was total confusion. People stopped, some tried to calm others and some ran away. At first I didn’t understand whether it was an accident or a terror attack,” she said.
Netanel Mikhlashvili, the son of the shop owner, was inside the store when the bus struck. “I was at the register, arranging things on the counter, when suddenly there was a huge bang,” he said. “Cans and bottles flew out of the refrigerators. Everything was knocked over. Chairs, the outdoor seating, the sign, the lighting. Everything shattered.”
“Everyone froze for a few seconds,” he added. “Trying to understand what happened, how it happened and who was hurt. I saw a woman seriously injured. We ran to give first aid with what we knew. Security and rescue forces arrived quickly. We did everything as fast as we could.”
Magen David Adom said the report was received at 11:30 a.m. at its Dan region dispatch center. The critically injured woman suffered injuries to her limbs after being pinned under the bus. The moderately injured woman sustained a head injury.
Avihai Hadad, head of MDA’s Dan region, said large emergency forces were dispatched immediately, including ambulances, intensive care units and rapid response teams.
Yaron Hatuka, deputy head of the Dan region, said rescuers found the critically injured woman trapped beneath the bus and the second woman nearby, conscious but hurt. Both were evacuated urgently to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv. Eight passengers, most of them women and elderly, were treated and evacuated with minor injuries.
Police said they received a report of a traffic accident involving a bus on Krinitzi Street in Ramat Gan and that officers were at the scene. The Krinitzi-Bialik intersection was closed to traffic as the investigation continued.