Falls, violence mar Lag Ba’omer; MDA treats 230
05/11/2012 03:45
Some 150 of the injuries during the minor holiday occurred at Meron, Magen David Adom said.
Lag Baomer bonfire Photo: Marc Israel Sellem
About 230 people – adults and children – were injured during the Lag Ba’omer
festivities from Wednesday night through Thursday at Mount Meron near Safed and
throughout the country.
Some 150 of the injuries during the minor holiday
occurred at Meron, Magen David Adom said.
The injuries included burns,
over-consumption of alcohol and violence. Hundreds of thousands of people were
at Meron, where hundreds of doctors, paramedics, medics and others were on
duty.
MDA said that one of the injured was a 24- year-old man who fell
from a height of four meters where many people were seated to observe the
festivities. He was taken by helicopter to Rambam Medical Center in Haifa in
serious condition.
In addition, a man about 60 needed evacuation by
helicopter to Ziv Medical Center in Safed after paramedics thought he had
suffered a heart attack. He is in stable condition.
Two dozen people were
taken to hospitals in the North suffering from fractures caused by falling and
being pressed by the crowd; fainting; dehydration; bruises; and asthma attacks.
Others were treated on the spot at MDA’s two mobile clinics at Meron. Mobile
intensive care units were also at the ready to give first aid.
MDA
staffers and volunteers were busy at bonfires around the country. Nearly 30
people suffered light burns, bruises or were overcome by smoke. Almost 60 were
hurt at sites away from Meron and had to be evacuated to hospitals.