Jerusalem: In a tragic incident, at least nine Israeli teenagers have been killed and one is missing after a flash flood swept them away on Thursday while they were hiking near the Dead Sea.
According to the officials, two youths were hospitalised for hypothermia and other injuries, and 13 were rescued unharmed”>unharmed, reported the New York Times.
An Israeli rescue and recovery organisation Zaka reported the fatalities.
According to the reports, rescue workers, soldiers and volunteers in helicopters, jeeps and rubber boats and on foot frantically searched for the missing teenager.
According to the Israeli media, the nine hikers, eight female and one male, were part of a group of about 25 who were hiking in the vicinity of the stream near the Dead Sea.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu branded the calamity a “grave disaster”, in a statement.
“We all pray for better news,” he added.
Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, said on Twitter, “The state of Israel is mourning the loss of young promising lives in the heavy disaster.”(ANI)