by BRINLEE VUOLA
Staff Writer
Just recently in northern Israel, a tragedy took place. At a religious festival where “tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews” showed up, according to CBS, a stampede slowly formed; unfortunately, at the end of all the chaos, it left 150 people injured and 45 people dead, including 4 Americans. Medical officials say that this is the country’s deadliest civilian disaster.
Authorities said the stampede took place in a long narrow tunnel that turned into descending, slippery metal steps by the end. People began to crowd and walk so fast, leading to others to fall–both in the pathway and on the metal steps–and not be given a chance to get up. A poor civilian witness, who currently sits in the hospital, reports to public broadcasters that “Nobody managed to halt” and that he saw “one after the other fall”–video footage would prove him to be right.
Efforts are still currently underway to identify all the people who were tragically killed during this incident. Funerals were made and scheduled “in a race against time.” Even President Biden spoke upon the issue, stating kindly that “the loss of life among worshippers practicing their faith is heartbreaking” and reassuring both his country and Israel that he has sent a team over there to provide any government assistance.
While this situation did occur in another country where these giant meetups of nearly 100,000 people are accepted, I believe it’s important to understand that this situation happened, it can happen anywhere, and it can be prevented. Hopefully, America will be able to hold these large gatherings again someday, whether it be these religious meetups or something else like concerts or movie-gatherings. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to always stay sharp of your surroundings and be as safe as you can. When people get excited, they may lose sight of that, and these tragedies can unfortunately still happen. Even if it’s a small gathering of people, stay safe and aware of what’s around you.