Seven members of the same family were killed in the fatal collision between a minibus and a train on Thursday evening.
TRAGEDY: An Entire Family Wiped Out in Fatal Accident
Seven members of the same family were killed in the fatal collision between a minibus and a train on Thursday evening.
The names of the seven, residents of Beitar Illit who were on their way to a vacation when the accident occurred, were cleared for publication early Friday morning. They are Aryeh Bernstein (43) and his wife Rivka (41), and their children: Malka Gotstein (21), Yochanan (16), Chana (14), and Mordechai-Aharon (9). Their grandson Mordechai-Aharon Bernstein was also killed in the accident. Malka Gotstein’s husband, Dudu (22), was critically wounded in the accident.
Aryeh Bernstein was identified as a volunteer with the ZAKA rescue organization. He was identified by friends from ZAKA who had rushed to the scene of the crash in order to provide assistance.
Their funeral took place Friday morning, with tens of thousands in attendance.
The accident occurred after the driver of the minibus drove onto the train tracks when the warning lights were on. A guard stationed along the tracks relayed a warning to the driver of the oncoming train, but he was unable to stop in time.
Dozens of people were wounded in the accident, including pregnant women. Three military helicopters were called to the scene to help care for the wounded. The Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva treated at least eight of the wounded. One was in moderate condition and the rest were only lightly wounded.
The driver of the minibus, who suffered mild injuries, was treated at the Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva. He was later interrogated by police, and said that that he saw the train barrier going down at the last moment and hit the brakes, but was unable to stop the vehicle in time.
Yoram Weiss, the driver of the train, said in an interview to Israel’s Channel 10 News that as far as he had seen, the minibus driver did not realize he was approaching the tracks until the barrier hit the minibus. According to Weiss, it was only at that time that the driver of the minibus attempted to brake. He said that he felt the train hitting the minibus but does not know any further details. He added that he was grateful that the train did not go off the track as a result of the accident.
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, announced following the accident that a committee will be appointed in order to investigate the circumstances of the accident.
Photos of the scene of the accident by hnn.co.il
Valéria
Baruch Dayan Emet!
mendy
As far as i understood from the media the chosson who is in the picture BH survived also
zd
g-d, help us!!!
Horrified
This is horrible!!!! May they all rest in peace.
oy
OY VAY!!!!!
NEBAAAAAAAAAAAACH
HASHEM YISHMORE!!!!!!!
ad masai?
baruch dayyan haemes
Moshiach now!!!
Boruch dayon haemes – really horrible news.
Moshiach now.
BD E
terrible, terrible news!!
may we only hear bsuros tovos from now on!
Moshiach now!!
Ad Mottai!
Ad Motai!
:(
moshiach now
soo sad! we need moshiach now!!!!!!
BD”E
enough already! we cant taker it any more!
ad mosai?!!!
baruch Dayan HaEmes. ENOUGH!!!!! we need Moshiach now!!!!
A Parent
Reb Bernshtein ran Machon LaKriah – a course for children with reading difficulties in Yerushalayim. He cared for every child that came there. A real Mentch!
one survived
One of the family members survived.
So sad
How will the grandparents live with this? this is so sad..
Saddened
Baruch Dayan HaEmes. Terrible terrible sad. Ad Mosai, Ribono Shel Olam, Ad Mosai.
lo
Baruch Dayan Emes
MOSHIACH NOWWW
Shocked
Baruch Daayan Haemes.
Ad Masai?
Moshiach Now…
ceo
boruch dayan haemet. Very tragic loss.
do mitzvos in their memory!
name for tehillim
what is the name of the critically injured boy
we should say tehillim for him
hashem yishmor
the only one that survived is the son in law (the groom in the picture above)
Rochel
Baruch Dayan Haemes,
May Hashem help their families.
Can someone write the name of the injured so tehilim can be organized
mayer nochum fridman
Hashem Yeracheim
so saaaaaaaaaadddddddddd
it is so sad a hole family was dishtroyd so sad
Yoram
“HAMAKOM YENACHEM ESCHEM BTOCH SHAAR AVILEI ZION V’YERUSHALAYIM”
May Hashem comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Yerushalayim
b h
the ones blurrd in the pic r not part of it
chana
Turns out I’m right…the driver DID break the barrier.
http://www.haaretz.co.il/ha…