Two Bus Crashes in Israel’s Negev Desert Injure 28 People Within One Hour

A pair of bus accidents occurred within an hour Thursday morning in Israel's Negev desert region, injuring a total of 28 people. The incidents included a bus rollover with 50 passengers and a separate collision between a bus and car, prompting major road closures and emergency response.

Emergency crews responded to two separate bus accidents in Israel’s Negev desert region Thursday morning, with both incidents occurring within just one hour and resulting in injuries to 28 people, according to Israeli authorities.

The second incident happened along Route 40 between the towns of Mitzpe Ramon and Shdema, close to the Ramat Eliezer memorial site, where a passenger bus carrying 50 people flipped over. Medical teams treated 17 individuals at the scene, with most experiencing minor injuries. However, both the driver and one passenger sustained moderate injuries. The accident forced officials to shut down Route 40 in both directions while police and rescue workers managed the emergency response.

About 40 minutes earlier, another accident occurred near Nevatim when a bus collided with a private vehicle. This crash sent 11 people to the hospital, including 10 with minor injuries and a 29-year-old woman who was moderately hurt, emergency responders reported. Law enforcement officers were sent to manage both accident sites on Route 40 and Route 25.

Israel’s national emergency service, Magen David Adom, reported receiving notification of the Nevatim crash at 8:09 a.m. Medical personnel arrived to treat victims before transporting them to hospitals. At 8:47 a.m., emergency dispatchers received another call about the overturned bus south of Mitzpe Ramon, which prompted the deployment of more medical response teams.

All patients requiring hospitalization from both crashes were taken to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba for continued medical care and evaluation, Magen David Adom confirmed. Emergency medical officials stated that the vast majority of hospitalized patients were in stable condition.

Law enforcement officials said their immediate priorities included making the crash sites safe, controlling traffic flow disruptions, and supporting emergency medical workers. Investigators have begun looking into what caused both accidents, though officials have not yet released any preliminary findings about the causes.

Officials advised drivers traveling through the Negev desert area to drive carefully, especially on the main highways impacted by these crashes, and to obey police directions while road blockages and traffic rerouting continue.