Driver rams truck into bus stop in Israel, one dead; cops suspect terror attack

A truck driver rammed his vehicle into a bus stop full of passengers in central Israel on Sunday (Oct 27), killing one and injuring more than 30 people. The driver was "shot and neutralised", said Israeli police.

According to reports, one person died and 34 injured people were taken to hospitals after the truck rammed a bus stop near the Glilot Base.

Amongst the 34 injured, five were reported in serious condition, five were in moderate condition and 20 were said to be lightly injured while four of them were suffering acute anxiety, said Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service. 

According to the police's preliminary findings, the driver also hit a bus that had stopped at a similar location to drop off passengers.

Israeli police's preliminary investigation indicated “that a bus stopped near a bus stop to drop off passengers. At the same time, a truck arrived and collided with the bus and passengers at the station.”

Police said that civilians at the scene “shot at the truck driver and neutralised him.”

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"Currently, the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation," said the police, in a statement.

However, local reports said that the driver of the truck was shot and "neutralised" by armed civilians after he deliberately hit people.

"At 10:08 AM, a report was received in MDA's 101 Emergency Call Center in the Yarkon Region of a truck hitting a bus stop on Aharon Yariv Boulevard in Ramat Hasharon. MDA EMTs and Paramedics are currently providing medical treatment on-site to dozens of casualties," \said Israel’s emergency services, in a statement.

Police suspect truck accident to be 'terror attack'

As per media reports, a lot of those who suffered injuries in the incident were senior citizens who had deboarded the bus moments earlier and were headed to a nearby museum.

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The Magen David Adom emergency service had earlier confirmed that the incident took place at Aharon Yariv Boulevard in Ramat HaSharon, which is located north of Tel Aviv.

The police said that the incident was being treated as a deliberate attack and they also suspected it to be a terror attack.

The incident took place at a time when ceremonies are held in Israel to mark the Hebrew calendar anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack, which started the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. 

(With inputs from agencies)