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An Israeli bus has plummeted off a cliff in the occupied West Bank killing at least two people, Israeli media reported.
The bus was travelling near the Ma'ale Levona settlement when it plunged down 70 meters (230 feet) in stormy weather in the early hours of Friday, the Magen David Adom rescue service said.
Rescue workers said that two people were killed and another wounded seven, of which four seriously, Magen David Adom said.
Zaki Heller, the rescue service spokesman told Israel Radio, said that Israel Defence Forces (IDF) were assisting with the operations and helicopters were employed to help overcome the difficult conditions.
"We had to walk for 10 minutes in the rain and mud until we reached the bus. We requested helicopters to help evacuate the injured,” Michael Chai Cohen, a volunteer from the United Hatzalah rescue service, told the Times of Israel. "Unfortunately, upon arrival, we found several victims who were unconscious and without a pulse. Others sustained varying degrees of injuries."
The bus was special armored bus used in the West Bank by the Egged Company, the largest transit company in the country, according to local media. Rescue teams were trying to lift the overturned bus to make sure no other victims were trapped beneath.
Rescue workers declared the crash a “mass casualty event,” and dozens of ambulances, volunteers and medics were called in.
