Terror Blast on Tel Aviv Bus: 17 Injured. 2 Badly Hurt

Bus following explosionPic: Gal Sabag

A loud blast occured on a bus in Tel Aviv's Shaul Hamelech street near the Kirya base. Rescue forces reported of a mass casualty event. Defense sources said it was a terror attack.

Seventeen people were injured; two sustained moderate to serious injuries, three sustained moderate wounds and the rest were lightly wounded. Four people suffered shock.

The wounded were evacuated to the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. A security source estimated that an explosive device was planted on the bus. Police suspect there may be another explosive device in the area and examine estimations that a terrorist hurled a grenade at the bus and fled the scene.

An eye witness at the scene said: "I heard a boom and then saw a black cloud. Guys in the cab radio said 'A bus is dismantled.'"

Eye witnesses near the Kirya reported that the base speakers called all soldiers to take cover. Many police cars arrived at the area.

Roman, a passenger on the bus, said it was the number 142 bus: "Someone blew up inside. People were injured. I ran out."

Yoni Yossef of ZAKA was one of the first people to arrive at the scene. "There were panic and chaos," he said; "People were lying outside the bus. Paramedics started to arrive. People aren’t used to this. It's taking us years back."

Photo: Yoel Feldman

Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich arrived at the scene of the attack with Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino. Meanwhile, police are searching for suspects in Tel Aviv.

Tomer Simon, an eye witness, recounted: "There was a horrible explosion; we were sure at first that it’s a hit on Tel Aviv and the sirens just didn’t go off. I opened my office window and saw the bus crushed."

Simon added: "I ran and tried to help those who were injured as much as I could. All the windows of the bus were smashed."

A reporter of the al-Mayadeen network in Gaza reported of shots being fired in the air as a sign of joy over the explosion.

The network also reported that Hamas welcomed the bombing, describing it as a natural response to the "massacre of civilians" during Operation Pillar of Defense.

The event occurred against the backdrop of Operation Pillar of Defense and the continued firing of rockets from Gaza at Israel.

This article is reprinted with permission from Ynet.

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