The massive explosion occurred in Hebron Way, west Jerusalem, with police citing “a militant attack” as the probable cause of the blast.
Multiple social media posts show smoke coming out of the burned-out bus, which is standing in the middle of the road.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu55wuMTHLY
Initial reports indicated there were 20 casualties. Now Jerusalem Post reports 16 people were injured in the blast, with two injured “seriously,” one “moderately,” and five “lightly.” The newspapers cite sources in the Magen David Adom emergency service.
Some of the injured were evacuated to Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Others were taken to Hadassah Hospital nearby.
#BREAKING: Explosion on bus in #Jerusalem. Initial reports of at least 20 injured pic.twitter.com/qL9BuDdsPT
— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) April 18, 2016
The bus was reportedly not carrying any passengers when it exploded, an Israel Police spokesperson said, as cited in the media. The casualties were apparently due to being close to the blast.
“When I arrived at the scene I saw two buses going up in flames and about 10 causalities among them, one who was mortally wounded and another in serious condition,” Mickey Cohen, head of the Jerusalem emergency response service, told Haaretz.
Jerusalem district police say the bus could have been blown up by an explosive device or targeted by a suicide bomber who detonated the device inside the bus, according to news outlet Arutz Sheva.
Explosion in Jerusalem on bus 20 injured pic.twitter.com/zykV2nDa7r
— Danny Swibel (@DSwibel) April 18, 2016
In early January, at least two people were killed and several others injured following a shooting at a bar in central Tel Aviv. The gunman was described by an eyewitness as being “light-skinned and not Eastern looking,” and as carrying an M-16. Further reports said the shooter, identified as 29-year-old Nashad Milkham, reportedly stole the gun from his father, who worked in the security industry.
(Sources: RT, Twitter, Euronews)
