“Tonight, we deployed Israeli Air Force helicopters full of IDF search & rescue soldiers to Jordan,” reported the Israel Defense Forces on Thursday, October 25 at 10:46pm. “They assisted in the rescue of a bus of Jordanian children that was swept away in floods on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea. This assistance was at the request of the Jordanian Government.”
The death toll from the accident has risen to 21, most of them schoolchildren from Victoria College School in Amman. The bus was carrying 37 children and seven teachers from the private school for a field trip. A bridge in the area also collapsed. About 35 people were reported injured and some are still unaccounted for, according to press reports from Jordan.
The IDF team was led by the commanding officer of Unit 669, the Israel Air Force’s search-and-rescue squad.
The Government of the State of Israel and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994. The Dead Sea lies along the border of the two countries.
Fighting for Israel's truth
We cover what makes life in Israel so special — it's people. A non-profit organization, ISRAEL21c's team of journalists are committed to telling stories that humanize Israelis and show their positive impact on our world. You can bring these stories to life by making a donation of $6/month.
