Israel’s state comptroller to open special probe into stampede deaths

Tel Aviv (dpa), 3 May, 2021-  Israel’s state comptroller wants to look into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 45 people in a stampede at a religious festival last week, in addition to an already ongoing police investigation, the Haaretz newspaper reported on Monday.

Comptroller Matanyahu Englman announced at a press conference that he would open a special investigation into the accident. He said the accident could have been prevented, according to Haaretz.

He referred to two reports in recent years warning of dangers that the site in northern Israel posed to worshippers, Haaretz reported.

A mass panic broke out on Thursday night during a religious festival attended by some 100,000 people at Mount Meron to mark Lag Baomer.

Forty-five men and boys were killed in the resulting crush, and some 150 people were injured.

Police have come under heavy criticism in the aftermath of the incident, and there have been calls for an independent investigation.