Continuing Coverage of Carmel Fire: More than 40 Dead, Many Injured. Greece, Cyprus Send Firefighting Aircraft

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The continuing coverage of this tragedy. 

At least 40 young IPS cadets were burned alive in a bus, and there is a widespread belief that these fires are due to terrorist arson. 

Currently, Tirat Carmel, Nir Etzion, Ein Hod, Ein Hid and Beit Oren have been evacuated, and other evacultions are under way, the Haifa Chief of Police has been critically injured. 

Greece and Cyprus are sending firefighting airplanes to assist Israel because Israel doesn't have large firefighting airplanes that can drop large quantities of fire-retardant chemicals on the fire. 

Again, may G-d bring comfort to the victims and their families, and justice to the perpetrators.

M

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Minister Aharonovitch on fire: Driver lost control of bus

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3993412,00.html

Internal security minister makes statement at site of deadly fire which killed at least 40 prison guards. 'Lane was clear but the speed of the fire caught them,' he says. Authorities decide to evacuate Tirat Carmel as fire spreads in its direction
Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch visited the site of the massive fire which broke out in the Carmel on Thursday, the largest in the history of Israel, and gave details on the circumstances of the tragedy.

"With great care I say this to you, the passengers on the bus apparently strayed off the lane when it was clear and the fire's speed caught up with them. Apparently the driver lost control of the bus and was hurt and burned."

Aharonovitch sent his condolences to the victims' families. "We are talking about a mass-casualty event. There are many missions persons who have yet to be located – two to three."

Rescue forces have yet to contain the fire which threatens Tirat Carmel too. Nir Etzion, Ein Hod, Ein Hid and Beit Oren were all evacuated.

Haifa firefighter teams made a desparate call to all fire brigades in Israel to help contain the fire. "The war on the Carmel is the war on the State of Israel," Reshef Levy from Haifa said. "The work will last days. These are crazy fire fronts."

At least 40 Prison Service officer course cadets were killed Thursday while on their way to help evacuate the Damon Prison. The Prison Service said it opened a call center which is receiving many concerned calls.

Tirat Carmel evacuated

After an status evaluation was held following the disaster authorities decided not to take chances and start evacuating neighborhoods in Tirat Carmel. It was also decided to evacuate the city's psychiatric hospital. Residents of Nir Etzion, Ein Hod and Ein Hod were also asked to leave their homes.
The Israel Defense Forces are gearing up to evacuate the transport base in Tirat Carnel. The Haifa Municipality said that all Hanukkah events that were meant to take place over the weekend were canceled in light of the tragedy.

The decision to evacuate neighborhoods in Tirat Carmel was made after residents of Kibbutz Beit Oren were instructed to leave their houses earlier on Thursday.

The evacuation of Damon Prison which is situated near the kibbutz ended in tragedy. Forty cadets of an officers course were burned to death in a flaming bus which was sent to help in the prison's evacuation. Apart from the 40 victims, firemen and three officers who drove a police car behind the bus were also injured.

One of the wounded victims is senior ranking police officer Ahuva Tomer who was seriously injured after her car caught fire. She was initially treated at the Carmel Medical Center and later moved to the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa