Family members of victims of the Meron stampede have filed a 50 million shekel ($15 million) lawsuit against the National Center For Development Of The Holy Places, the body responsible for the complex where the deadly event occurred.
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According to the plaintiffs, the center failed to inform visitors of the dangers of participating in the celebrations at a complex that was unfit to host the hundreds of thousands of attendees expected to attend the annual event.
"The Meron disaster occurred due to the gross negligence exhibited by everyone involved in maintaining the Rashbi site, for which, unfortunately, the state took no responsibility either," attorney David Mena, who represents the families, said. "The tragedy can repeat itself at another mass gathering. They have not learned their lesson and have not implemented any of the recommendations that have been outlined for them."
He said that the families "had filed a lawsuit on behalf of 1,000 victims who were in the stampede and who, to this day, suffer from trauma and physical injuries.
"We estimated the damage to each person at NIS 50,000 ($15,000), and as there are 1,000 people, the total claim amounts to NIS 50 million."
The National Center For Development Of The Holy Places responded in a statement: "We will examine the lawsuit and respond in a court of law."
The deadly stampede occurred on April 29 at the Lag Baomer festival in northern Israel and was the deadliest civilian disaster in the country's history. Around 100,000 worshippers, mostly ultra-Orthodox Jews, attended festivities.
Hundreds of people bottlenecked in a narrow passageway descending Mount Meron, and a slippery slope caused people to stumble and fall. The resulting human avalanche killed 45 people and injured at least 150.
In June, the Israeli government approved the formation of an independent state commission of inquiry to investigate safety shortcomings at the celebrations.
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