Explosion during school trip: Terrifying scenes captured on camera as helicopters are deployed VIDEO

The incident occurred on Monday, Israeli police said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared it a mass-casualty incident, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Among those affected were students and staff members of the ORT Ma’alot Yeshiva high school, the local municipality said. Ziv Medical Center in Safed reported that three teenagers and one adult had been admitted to its trauma unit after being evacuated from the scene of the explosion. A total of 13 injured people received treatment at the medical facility.

According to the municipality, the students were in the area as part of a traditional annual school trip. Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services said a preliminary investigation indicated that one of the students had placed an explosive device in his bag, after which it detonated.

According to a report by Israeli Army Radio, the military identified the explosive device as Hezbollah cluster munition that had previously landed in the area. The student had reportedly found and picked it up during a break.

Police, military and rescue teams at the scene

Officers from the Northern District Police and explosive ordnance disposal experts were dispatched to the explosion site, along with Israeli military helicopters and rescue teams from Hatzalah. Medical teams from Magen David Adom also responded.

The Israeli military later said that its troops had been dispatched to the scene to assist the injured, adding that an investigation into the circumstances of the explosion was ongoing.

Police urged the public to stay away from the area and report any suspicious devices or objects they believed could be unexploded ordnance.

Netanyahu briefed on the incident

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been briefed on the explosion and is closely monitoring the situation, his office said.

The Ministry of Education also issued a statement, saying it was working with security services to provide students, education staff and their families with the necessary information.

“We urge everyone to act responsibly and refrain from spreading unverified information while the circumstances surrounding the incident are still being investigated,” the ministry said in a statement.

Yesh Atid party leader Gadi Eisenkot wrote on social media platform X that his thoughts were with the family of the person who died, the injured and their loved ones. He added that he was joining the people of Israel in praying for the injured to make a swift recovery.

Ma’alot Mayor Moti Ben-David later told Army Radio on Monday that a crisis center had been set up in the area, staffed by social workers and psychologists providing support to the students. A bus was also dispatched to the scene to transport students who had not been injured.