Ukrainian tour bus rescued from flash flood in Judean Desert
“We ask all drivers to drive carefully and in accordance with road conditions and weather conditions,” police said.
By DANIEL K. EISENBUDUpdated: FEBRUARY 18, 2018 06:01Video of the trapped bus carrying 50 Ukrainian tourists. (Courtesy of the Police Spokesman’s Unit)
Fifty Ukrainian tourists were rescued by police on Saturday after being stranded in a tour bus near Nahal Tze’elim in the Judean Desert when torrential rain flooded the area.The Ein Gedi Rescue Unit, aided by the Arad Police, safely extricated the tourists at approximately 5:30 a.m., police said. No injuries were reported.Video taken by police shows the bus partially submerged by the flash flood, shortly before officers escorted all the tourists to safety. Nearby, police also responded to a trapped rental vehicle driven by Hungarian tourists. The driver and passenger were unharmed.As a precaution, police closed Route 90 between the Dead Sea hotels and Nahal David. Route 31 was also temporarily closed to traffic on Saturday between Arad and the Dead Sea after rocks fell onto the road.“We ask all drivers to drive carefully and in accordance with road conditions and weather conditions,” police said.Rain covered much of the country on Saturday. Tel Aviv received 36 millimeters, while Haifa had 18 mm. of rain and Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) 33 mm.