A 61-year-old bus driver was killed and 19 other people were injured on Wednesday when a passenger bus collided with a truck on Route 91 near Mahanayim Junction in northern Israel, according to emergency services and local media reports.
Israel Fire and Rescue Services reported that three firefighting and rescue teams from the Galil-Golan station were dispatched to the crash site between Machanayim and Mishmar Hayarden. Rescuers worked to free the driver, who was trapped inside the heavily damaged wreckage of the bus.
Magen David Adom (MDA) medics stated that the bus driver was found unconscious, without a pulse, and showing no signs of breathing. After complex rescue operations freed him from the vehicle, medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
The truck driver, a man in his 50s, sustained serious lower-limb injuries in the impact. Emergency responders said he was unconscious when he was airlifted by an MDA Rescue Air helicopter to a nearby hospital for urgent trauma care.
Casualties and Medical Response
In addition to the two drivers, 18 bus passengers-described by authorities as young adults around 20 years old-sustained minor injuries. Ambulances transported all 18 victims to Ziv Medical Center in Safed (Tzfas) for treatment.
MDA emergency medical technician Gil Ad Ben Hamo described the severity of the incident at the scene:
It was a horrific traffic accident. The vehicles had very severe damage to their front ends. The bus driver was trapped and unconscious. While complex rescue operations were underway, we provided him with medical care, but unfortunately had to pronounce him dead at the scene. At the same time, we treated the truck driver and the 18 passengers who were on the bus.
Police Investigation and Road Closures
Following the deadly collision, Israel Police closed Route 91 in both directions between the Mahanayim Junction and Kibbutz Gadot. Authorities urged motorists to avoid the area, seek alternative travel routes, and follow instructions from officers stationed at the roadblocks.
Traffic accident investigators remain on-site to examine the precise circumstances and determine the cause of the collision between the bus and the truck. Route 91 serves as a vital east-west corridor connecting the Upper Galilee region with the Golan Heights.
