- Title: ISRAEL: Families of Russian bus crash victims arrive in Israel
- Date: 18th December 2008
- Summary: BEN GURION AIRPORT, ISRAEL (DECEMBER 17, 2008) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN BUS CRASH VICTIMS EXITING AIRPORT BUS CARRYING FAMILY MEMBERS DRIVING FROM AIRPORT
- Embargoed: 2nd January 2009 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Israel
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVA2LS6REK9Q5VCF30KZEV19PCII
- Story Text: Families of Russian bus crash victims arrive in Israel, where an investigation is looking into the causes of the accident, which killed 24 passengers.
Relatives of the survivors from Israel's worst recorded bus crash arrived at Jerusalem's Ben Gurion airport on Wednesday (December 17), as authorities prepared to fly the bodies of 24 dead back to Saint Petersburg.
The 49 Russian travel agents had been in Israel only a few hours on Tuesday (December 16) when their bus veered off a desert road near the Red Sea resort city of Eilat and plunged down a ravine.
Natalia, the daughter of one of the crash victims, visited her mother at Tel Hashomer hospital near Tel Aviv.
"How do you think I could feel, myself? It was terrible news, and I was scared," Natalia said, recounting the moment she heard about the accident.
The bus crash drew condemnation from Israeli politicians and road safety activists who said more needed to be done to combat high road fatalities.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni also visited the injured at the hospital.
"Everybody is praising those who treated the injured. It's really heartwarming," she said.
Israeli Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz said authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.
"I would like to say to the Russians that we did our best to give our support to the Russian people that were injured in this terrible accident.
I can assure you that the State of Israel will continue to investigate this accident and we will welcome you in the future to our country," Mofaz said.
The investigation was focusing on a witness report that the bus driver lost control while trying to overtake another vehicle, an Israeli police spokesman said Mofaz said late on Tuesday that the driver of the bus involved in the accident may have been involved in an argument with another bus driver, who was driving on the same road.
But on Wednesday the second bus driver, Rami Vazana, denied there had been any argument.
"Nothing. There was no dialogue between us. We didn't talk. There was no confrontation while driving. I don't have any interest in playing with my passengers (lives). It's a relatively safe vehicle. It's a new and good vehicle. I don't play games on the road. It's been more than 20 years that I've been driving this type of vehicle," Rami Vazana said.
Israel is a favourite destination for Russian tourists. Some 230,000 Russians visited the country in the first nine month of 2008 and the tourism ministry expects the number to rise to 400,000 in 2009. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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