A soccer stadium in southern Guinea became the site of a devastating tragedy on Sunday when 56 people, including several children, were killed in a stampede following clashes between fans, the Associated Press reports.

The incident occurred during the final match of a local tournament between teams from Labe and Nzerekore at the Stade de Nzérékoré. The tournament was being held in honor of the country's military leader, Mamadi Doumbouya.

Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah confirmed the incident on X, stating that regional authorities were working to restore calm in the area. Communications Minister Fana Soumah announced in a statement broadcast on national television that authorities have launched an investigation to identify those responsible for the stampede.

Local news website Media Guinea reported that the violence erupted after a disputed penalty decision, which angered supporters who began throwing stones. Security forces responded by deploying tear gas, contributing to the chaos that followed.

Video footage from the scene showed fans protesting the referee's decision before clashes broke out, with people pouring onto the field. Many attempted to escape by jumping over the stadium's high fence. Additional footage revealed numerous injured people being treated at a local hospital, where some victims remain in critical condition.

Guinea: About 100 people were killed in a football match in the city of Nzérékoré, near the border with Liberia.

According to reports following the match, severe fights broke out between the fans of the two teams, and many were injured during a mass stampede. pic.twitter.com/wf2qPjcjcI

— Breaking News (@TheNewsTrending) December 2, 2024

 The National Alliance for Alternation and Democracy, an opposition coalition, has called for an investigation into the incident. The coalition criticized the tournament's organization, suggesting it was intended to build support for what they termed the "illegal and inappropriate" political ambitions of the military leadership.

Guinea has been under military rule since 2021, when soldiers led by Doumbouya removed President Alpha Conde from power. The country joins several other West African nations, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, where military leaders have assumed control and delayed transitions to civilian governance.

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Israel's National Insurance Institute is proposing compensation in the amount of 100,000 shekels ($30,800) for each of the families who lost loved ones in the Lag B'Omer stampede at Mount Meron. A total of 45 participants in the festivities, including children as young as nine, were killed.

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The investigation into the Mount Meron disaster is still underway, and a government commission of inquiry has not yet been formed.

At the request of the Knesset Finance Committee, which is chaired by MK Moshe Gafni of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, National Insurance Institute Director General Meir Spiegel sent Gafni a draft version of the proposal for compensation.

The National Insurance Institute is suggesting that families who lost one relative be paid 100,000 shekels, and families who lost more than one loved one be paid 130,000 ($40,000) per victim. In addition, the NII is offering further compensation for relatives, depending on the number of family members. The additional payments would apply to victims' children age 20 and under, and widows age 67 and younger.

The NII explains in the letter to Gafni that the monetary compensation would be awarded in addition to existing NII rights or compensatory damages ruled by a court.

The document also addresses compensation for people left disabled by injuries sustained in the stampede. The NII is calling on the government to recognize the Mount Meron incident as a "national disaster," which would entitle the victims to assistance from the government.

The NII did not pull the suggested framework for compensation out of thin air. The letter points to existing compensatory arrangements that were based on a public commission established to investigate the collapse of the Versailles event venue in Jerusalem 20 years ago, in which 23 guests fell to their deaths when the upper floor of the building collapsed, and 380 more were left injured.

Following the Versailles affair, the Knesset passed a law to help survivors and bereaved families that included the formation of a dedicated committee charged with handling the injured and paying out compensation.

Spiegel pointed out that in the case of Versailles, the compensation to the families came entirely from the government, and was disbursed through the NII.

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The Knesset Arrangement Committee, headed by MK Karin Elharar (Yesh Atid), was the site of a fraught discussion on Monday over the question of establishing a government commission of inquiry to probe the Mount Meron stampede on Lag B'Omer, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of participants in the annual event.

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Elharer ordered two MKs – Orit Struck and Simcha Rotman – to leave the room, claiming that they were interfering in the discussion. Later, MK Itamar Ben-Gvir was also sent out, and accused Elharer of "exploiting her role in order to silence people."

In a committee vote, 19 MKs voted in favor of a bill by MK Miki Levy (Yesh Atid) to establish a commission of inquiry into the Lag B'Omer events at Mount Meron, while 13 MKs voted against it. When Elharrar announced that the vote would proceed, MKs from the right-wing bloc left the room.

Despite the opposition from representatives of the Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, and Religious Zionist parties, Levy's bill to establishment a commission of inquiry was passed in committee and given an exemption from the formal presentation process.

Nearly a month after the civilian disaster that claimed the lives of their loved ones, families of the Meron victims broke silence on Monday and published an open letter signed "Forum of the Bereaved Families of the Meron Holy Ones" in which they demanded an independent  government commission of inquiry.

In the letter, sent to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the families write, "To our great sorrow, in recent days voices have emerged that are seeking a committee of inquiry that is not an independent, governmental one. We want to say aloud, unequivocally, and unmistakably – speaking as one family – that we demand an independent commission of inquiry. We believe that only a government commission of inquiry will complete the investigation fully."

After the letter was made public, associates of Haredi MKs began reaching out to the bereaved families in an attempt to persuade them to line up against a government investigation of the Meron events.

On Monday, associates of MKs contacted at least six of the families who lost loved ones in the Mount Meron stampede and asked them to sign a petition against a commission of inquiry.

Israel Hayom has learned that despite the fact that the letter to Netanyahu was signed by individuals, most of the bereaved families – 37 – back the proposed government inquiry. One bereaved father said, "We need to prevent the next disaster, it hurts so much that they are trying to soften the commission of inquiry."

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For the first time since the Lag B'Omer disaster at Mount Meron last Thursday, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, whose word is taken as gospel in the Lithuanian Haredi community, has addressed the stampede that claimed the lives of 45 people and left 150 wounded. 

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In a message published in Haredi newspaper Yated Ne'eman on his behalf, Kanievsky is quoted saying that many have asked him why God inflicted such a tragedy and what could be done for the tikkun (Hebrew for "fixing") of such a harsh judgment. 

Kanievsky's instructions were to increase Torah study and observance, and for women to be more stringent about modesty. Also, according to Kanievsky, "the rules of washing one's hands before a meal are not observed properly."

Although the rabbi himself did not address the question of who was responsible for the disaster, the newspaper did. Editor-in-chief turned publicist Yitzhak Roth pointed the finger at Haredi leaders who, he said, had previously demanded the removal of all bans and were now blaming the disaster on the community officials who organized the event.

Roth also pointed out that the same members of the community had also rioted over a decision by public officials to limit mass pilgrimmages to Uman due to the coronavirus pandemic

There is nothing easier than sitting at one's keyboard and writing a review without first examining one's own actions, Roth wrote, and asked, "For who remembers the story with Uman when we are dealing with the Lag B'Omer disaster?" 

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All eyes are on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and whether he will order a state commission of inquiry into the Lag B'Omer disaster that left 45 people dead and 150 injured.

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By law, an inquest of this kind would require Justice Minister Benny Gantz's approval. Blue and White's chief on Sunday called for a state commission of inquiry to be formed, though it remains unclear whether a provisional government can install such a panel.

In a letter to Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit, Gantz wrote, "Only a state commission of inquiry will include all aspects of the investigation into the disaster, as it has the broadest authority and the tools at its disposal to consolidate the necessary recommendations.

"Given the unusual circumstances of the event, and in particular, in light of the possibility that government members will be subpoenaed by the commission, only a state commission of inquiry appointed by the president of the Supreme Court, with a judge at its helm, will ensure the independence of the investigation and the public's trust."

According to Gantz, "The establishment of a commission will not bring the families their loved ones back or ease their pain, but it can prevent this kind of disaster [from happening again] in the future. There is an urgency to the speedy establishment of a commission so that it can carry out an initial assessment when the information is available and without many other investigative activities of other officials."

While the Israel Police's Major Crimes Unit was set to launch an investigation shortly after the tragedy took place, not much action has been taken on that front following the decision to task the Police Internal Investigations Department with examining whether officers were liable for the disaster.

The department is set to collect testimony from officers in the Northern Police District, National Headquarters, and Operations Division before a decision is made into whether a criminal investigation is warranted. The move could see Northern District Commander Maj. Gen. Shimon Lavie, Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai, and other senior officers questioned under warning.

The Internal Investigations Department's review will be headed by Sgt. Salman Ibrahim.

Over the weekend and continuing into Sunday, investigators from the Northern District and National Police Headquarters collected evidence, including documentation and security camera footage from the scene. The mapping of materials will begin in the coming days, and should this raise suspicions of any kind, a criminal investigation will be opened into those involved.

In an interview Sunday, former Supreme Court Justice Dalia Dorner asserted that a state commission of inquiry "does not look for guilt, that's ignorance. It examines, listens, and recommends. Its recommendations do not need to be accepted, but they do carry great weight."

Public Security Minister Amir Ohana, meanwhile, has told close associates he has no plans to step down over the tragedy.

"Responsibility is not akin to guilt," he told associated.

On Friday, hours after the scope of the tragedy became clear, Lavie told reporters that "as district chief, I bear full responsibility, for better or for worse. We are currently gathering information and evidence to get to the truth about what happened. I'm willing to face any investigation."

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Responding to complaints by some of the victims from Thursday's stampede at Mount Meron complained that the Israel National Center of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir was taking too long to identify the bodies of their loved ones, institute director Dr. Chen Kugel told Israel Hayom that "not only was there no delay in the identification of the bodies, it was done unusually quickly and we worked at a record pace."

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"It is impossible to positively identify 45 bodies in six hours. In other places around the world, it takes hours," Kugel said.

Kugel explained that the process of identifying the bodies entails comparing data collected from the bodies such as DNA samples, fingerprints, CT scans, and medical records to genetic tests, identifying marks cited by relatives, dental X-rays, and more.

"The big difference between this disaster and other events, apart from it being the biggest civilian disaster [in Israel], was the massive pressure to identify all the bodies before the start of Shabbat," Kugel added.

"Practically speaking, it's impossible to do in a situation in which 45 bodies arrive at once, and the orderly process must be completed. We tried to work far beyond our capacity," the center director said.

Kugel also said that the institute had experienced difficulty obtaining the information needed for positive identification.

"This event happened to a unique sector of the population. In some cases, it was hard to get hold of information needed for matches like dental X-rays. There were also casualties from abroad. Most didn't have identifying documents," Kugel said.

Responding to arguments voiced that the forensic identification process should have been forgone in favor of allowing families to identify their loves ones, Kugel said, "We cannot take someone and ask them to look at 45 bodies. The identification needs to be scientific, based on clear criteria, like fingerprints or a genetic test. In this disaster there were four cases in which family members came in, said they identified a relative, and then it turned out not to be him. I understand the sensitivity, but despite the delay, it's very important to bury the correct person."

In the case of the late Yedidya Hayut, 13, whose family claimed that a body not their son's was brought to them at the cemetery for burial, Kugel said, "There was a mistake that we are still trying to determine whether it occurred during identification, documentation, or transport, because there were a lot of ambulances that left at the same time. When there's pressure like there, there can also be an error with the tag given to the ambulance. Obviously, we will clarify and reach conclusions."

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In May 2018, a committee of experts recommended that Israel establish an additional forensics institute, and approximately a year later then-Health Minister Yakov Litzman approved the recommendation. Two years on, Israel still has no new forensics institute, and the existing one at Abu Kabir operates out of an old building with outdated infrastructure. The committee also recommended that the institute hire more forensic pathologists.

President Reuven Rivlin visited Abu Kabir on Sunday and thanked the staff for their work identifying the victims from the Meron stampede.

"The mind can't comprehend the loss of the lives of children, teens, husbands and fathers, who died such a brutal death," Rivlin said. "I want to tell the families that I am with them in their sorrow, that all the people of Israel are with them."

Kugel thanked Rivlin for visiting, telling him, "This is the first time in the history of the institute that the president has visited. We thank you with all our hearts."

The Office of the President issued a statement noting that Israel had few forensic pathologists available to the public at times of mass casualty events.

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In yet another sign Friday's deadly stampede could have been avoided, the State Comptroller's Office repeatedly warned of overcrowding and inadequate infrastructure at Mount Meron. In two comprehensive reports, the office focused on Lag B'Omer events, including access ways to and from the site, and the ability of emergency forces to enter the Galilee site of the tomb of 2nd-century sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

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In a 2008 report, then-State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss wrote that inadequate maintenance at the mount "does not suit the sanctity of the site." He explicitly mentioned the possibility of a mass-casualty event taking place on the mountain, and warned access paths "could not accommodate rescue services."

The comptroller further noted that "failures by the firefighting system and escape paths firefighting services have warned of for years and pose a threat to the public have not been fixed … Nevertheless, firefighting services provided temporary authorizations to hold the event on Lag B'Omer each year."

Regrettably, the report did nothing to change the reality on the ground.

In 2009, a government organization was tasked with responsibility for the site. Outside of slight maintenance improvements, however, nothing else was done. While preparations for the Lag B'Omer event have improved slightly, relevant authorities have not held anyone responsible for its organization or the organization of smaller events held on the mountain throughout the year.

In a follow-up report in 2011, the comptroller noted the government needed to consolidate its policies to either assist the Merom Hagalil Regional Council in the maintenance of Mount Meron or task the Interior Ministry with the job.

A matter of time  

Israel Police officials have also pointed to failures they say they were alerted to in the past but were never addressed.

"The mishap at Meron is a mishap from the land of mishaps," active-duty and retired senior police officers told Israel Hayom.

By 2016, a police report compiled with the help of Transportation Ministry data determined some 223,000 people, "15 times the legal limit," had ascended the mountain over a span of two days. The report's authors noted "the area of the mountain does not suit the event. In a disaster, it will not be possible to take control, and the place will not be controllable in an emergency."

Commander Ilan Mor (ret.), formerly the head of the Israel Police's traffic division, warned of the dangers inherent in holding mass events at Meron at the time.

In a detailed report titled "Meron revelry: Erasing the writings on the mount," Mor wrote that lessons could be learned from previous tragedies such as the 2001 collapse of a floor at the Versailles wedding hall in Jerusalem and the crushing death of three youths at the Arad Festival in 1995.

He argued that if steps like designating a producer and limiting attendance at the next Mount Meron Lag B'Omer event weren't taken, the next tragedy was only a question of time.

"The crowd that comes to the mountain is ecstatic and includes [people of] all ages. In a disaster, it will be difficult to control, and we have seen that from other near-disasters where the audience was undisciplined."

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Female soldiers with the IDF Home Front Command scrambled to the scene of the Lag B'Omer stampede at Mount Meron to help with rescue efforts were subjected to verbal and physical attacks by some Haredi men, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said in a statement Saturday.

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"At the beginning of the IDF Home Front Command assistance in the grave area at Mount Meron, a number of civilians conducted themselves in a violent manner, physically and verbally, against IDF female soldiers who were evacuating injured civilians. The troops persisted and completed their mission regardless of the offensive behavior," the military said in a statement.

"The subject was brought up by the troops on Friday during an initial inquiry into the event, prior to the troops' return to their base. The IDF condemns any form of physical or verbal violence towards its female and male soldiers, and views such incidents with great severity."

"The IDF condemns any form of physical or verbal violence towards its female and male soldiers, and views such incidents with great severity," the statement said.

"The IDF and the Home Front Command will continue to rescue, help and assist any citizen or resident in need."

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said: "Saving lives is a supreme value and I'm proud of all IDF soldiers treating the wounded in the disaster at Meron and firmly condemn whoever attacked the soldiers there. Many citizens owe their lives to those who were called to the event."

i24NEWS contributed to this report

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Given the recent tragedy at Mount Meron, President Reuven Rivlin may extend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's mandate to form the next coalition government.

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The prime minister had been set to lose his mandate overnight Tuesday.

The possibility of extending Netanyahu's mandate was raised following a deadly stampede at a Lag B'Omer festival that killed at least 45.

An official at the President's Residence told Israel Hayom: "The president will evaluate things given the circumstances at the relevant time."

Marking a national day of mourning, flags at government buildings, military bases, and Israeli missions overseas were flown at half-staff, Sunday.

Had the tragedy not unfolded and Netanyahu failed to cobble together a coalition, the president appeared likely to have tasked either Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid or Yamina head Naftali Bennett with forming the next government.

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US citizens are among the dozens killed and injured in a stampede at a religious festival in Israel, the US Embassy said on Saturday, as criticism mounted in the wake of one of the biggest civilian disasters in the country's history.

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At least 45 people were crushed to death and more than 100 injured at the ultra-Orthodox Jewish festival on the slopes of Israel's Mount Meron, held overnight between Thursday and Friday.

Israel was set to mark the tragedy with a national day of mourning, Sunday.

The exact cause of the disaster is still not clear, but witness accounts and videos posted on social media suggested that some people had fallen down stairs leading out of a narrow passageway packed by hundreds of worshippers trying to exit the site, as a surge of people came down upon those ahead of them who had fallen and were being trampled and asphyxiated as a result.

One witness described seeing a pyramid of people piling up one on top of the other. Authorities said children were among those hurt.

Avigdor Hayut, injured in the crush, lost his 13-year-old son. He said they were caught under a mass of people.

"I was on the floor. Twenty seconds stood between me being with him now, no more. I was already numb, and my vision was blurred," he told reporters before he was released from the hospital to attend his son's funeral.

"My son was screaming t to me, 'Daddy, I'm going to die,'" Hayut said. "They got me out at the last minute."

The Health Ministry said 42 of the dead had been identified by late Saturday. The identification process paused for 24 hours in observance of Shabbat and resumed on Saturday evening, and families held late-night burials.

Around 20 of the people injured were still hospitalized Friday night. More than 2,000 Israelis across the country responded to an emergency call for blood donations, according to Magen David Adom, Israel's ambulance service.

A US Embassy representative said: "We can confirm that multiple US citizens were among the casualties."

Those included both dead and injured. The US Embassy was trying to verify if any more American citizens were involved and is providing all possible consular support to affected US citizens, the representative said.

Israel's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that consulate officials in New York were in contact with four families of victims and the Israeli Embassy in Argentina was in contact with one family.

US media have identified some of the dead, including a 19-year-old American citizen who was in Israel on a gap year.

Two Canadians were killed in the disaster, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.

Condolences poured in from leaders around the world, including US President Joe Biden and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

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