- Title: ISRAEL: Bus driver convicted of manslaughter over crash that killed 24 Russians
- Date: 8th September 2013
- Summary: NEAR EILAT, ISRAEL (FILE-DECEMBER 16, 2008) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) RESCUE FORCES AND OVERTURNED BUS AFTER TOURIST BUS WHICH VEERED OFF A DESERT ROAD AND PLUNGED DOWN A RAVINE KILLING AT LEAST 24 AND INJURING DOZENS PARAMEDICS SECURITY FORCES AND WRAPPED BODIES LYING ON STRETCHERS ON THE GROUND PARAMEDICS TENDING TO BODIES FIRE FIGHTER HOSING DOWN BUS SECURITY FORC
- Embargoed: 23rd September 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Israel
- Country: Israel
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAW94S37UQ0EERUVVRVWTRBTXZ
- Story Text: An Israeli court on Sunday (September 9) found a driver charged over a 2008 bus crash that killed 24 Russians guilty of manslaughter, making him liable for a possible imprisonment for up to 20 years.
The bus veered off a desert road and plunged down a ravine on December 16, 2008 near the Red Sea resort of Eilat, in a crash that was the worst in Israel for years.
According to a court protocol, the driver, Edward Galfond, was accused of losing control while trying to overtake another bus in a narrow road curve. The two buses carried a group of travel agents who had just arrived from St. Petersburg at nearby Ovda airport, which serves Eilat.
Galfond was also found guilty of causing serious injuries to 27 passengers.
"Beersheba district court found the accused Edward Galfond guilty of all the offences he was charged with, including the serious offence of manslaughter, for which the maximum penalty is imprisonment for 20 years. We would like to express again our condolences to the families whose loved ones were killed in the crash. We wish a quick recovery for the injured who according to my knowledge are still suffering from injuries, some of them even still hospitalized," prosecutor Vadim Sigal told reporters outside the courtroom in Beersheba district court.
"We welcome this verdict. This should be a warning to drivers of public transportation vehicles, who hold heavy responsibility for the lives of their passengers," he added.
The Red Sea resort on the Gulf of Aqaba, at Israel's southern tip bordering Jordan and Egypt, is a popular destination for northern tourists seeking winter sunshine. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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