At least 44 people have died in a stampede at a religious festival in northern Israel.
Footage on social media shows men clambering through gaps in sheets of torn corrugated iron, trying to escape.
The ambulance service says 38 other people are in a critical condition at the site in Mount Meron, with another 18 people 'injured severely'.
Six others who were critically injured have been taken away from the scene.
Tragedy in Meron: MDA is fighting for the lives of dozens wounded, and will not give up until the last victim is evacuated.
38 are in critical condition and still in the field
6 in critical condition who were evacuated
18 injured severely
2 moderately
39 lightly pic.twitter.com/xUWStFYqQh— Magen David Adom (@Mdais) April 30, 2021
Shlomo Katz was one of those attending the event at the foot of Mount Meron.
He told reporters: "We were standing and waiting for our friends - we were going to go inside for the dancing and stuff.
"All of a sudden, we saw paramedics running by, mid-CPR."
Initial reports had indicated the tragedy happened when a grandstand collapsed - however, officials later said the deaths and injuries were the result of a stampede.
Thousands of people had gathered at the site to celebrate Lag B’Omer Jewish holiday, with local media reporting it was the biggest event in Israel since the start of the pandemic last year.
The Times of Israel reported as many as 100,000 had flocked to Mount Meron on Thursday night, with police warning they were unable to enforce COVID-19 restrictions due to the size of the crowd.
While Israel has begun to reopen due to its mass vaccination programme, restrictions around mass gatherings remain in effect in the country.
