At least eight people were killed and dozens others injured in an accident in Israel Tuesday, emergency services said.
A police spokesperson said the accident happened near the Lehavim Junction when a bus full of Arab Bedouin passengers from villages in southern Israel's Negev desert collided with a truck that was carrying a tractor, Xinhua reported.
"We have confirmed the death of eight people, and are giving medical care to 45-48 injured," said Eli Bean, director general of Magen David Adom, Israel's Red Crescent. Southern district police chief Yoram Halevi told Israel Radio that rescue teams were still struggling to pull out nine victims trapped inside the bus involved in the accident.
Military helicopters were aiding the evacuation of victims to hospitals.
"This is a very serious accident. The eight killed were from communities around Rahat," Talal al-Karinawi, mayor of the Bedouin town of Rahat, told Channel 10 TV news.
"These people returned from prayers at al-Aksa mosque in Jerusalem and they were on their way home," he said, adding that many of passengers were elderly.
The police spokesperson said the drivers, who were not hurt, were being questioned by investigators.