Neot HaKikar disaster
Encyclopedia
Neot HaKikar disaster which occurred in Israeli on 30 December 1970 was at that point in time the worst natural disaster
in Israel since the founding of the State of Israel until the Mount Carmel forest fire of 2010
. During the event a rock detached from a cliff due to heavy rains and crushed an IDF
military base dining room
. Twenty Israelis were killed in the disaster (19 soldiers and one civilian) and ten soldiers were injured (three of them severely).
military base kitchen. Soon after that the whole cliff detached and crushed the IDF military base dining room
while the soldiers at the base were having lunch.
The soldiers whom were outside of the dining room quickly called for assistance, and in less than an hour the first Air Force Helicopter landed in the army base with a medical team.
The removal of rocks which crushed the cabin (which were about three meters in height and around five meters in width) was only possible with heavy mechanical equipment. Initially, the heavy mechanical equipment arrived from the nearby Dead Sea Works
potash
plant, and later heavy mechanical equipment was also sent from the Combat Engineering Corps.
The rescue operations continued uninterrupted during night time. By midnight all of the injured and the dead, whom were buried underneath 1,500 tons of rock and soil, were recovered.
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
in Israel since the founding of the State of Israel until the Mount Carmel forest fire of 2010
Mount Carmel forest fire (2010)
The Mount Carmel forest fire was a deadly forest fire that started on Mount Carmel in northern Israel, just south of Haifa. The fire began at about 11:00 local time on 2 December 2010, and spread quickly, consuming much of the Mediterranean forest covering the region...
. During the event a rock detached from a cliff due to heavy rains and crushed an IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
military base dining room
Dining room
A dining room is a room for consuming food. In modern times it is usually adjacent to the kitchen for convenience in serving, although in medieval times it was often on an entirely different floor level...
. Twenty Israelis were killed in the disaster (19 soldiers and one civilian) and ten soldiers were injured (three of them severely).
The accident and rescue operations
On Wednesday, 30 December 1970, at 12:15, part of a 12-meter-high cliff suddenly detached and hit an IDFIsrael Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
military base kitchen. Soon after that the whole cliff detached and crushed the IDF military base dining room
Dining room
A dining room is a room for consuming food. In modern times it is usually adjacent to the kitchen for convenience in serving, although in medieval times it was often on an entirely different floor level...
while the soldiers at the base were having lunch.
The soldiers whom were outside of the dining room quickly called for assistance, and in less than an hour the first Air Force Helicopter landed in the army base with a medical team.
The removal of rocks which crushed the cabin (which were about three meters in height and around five meters in width) was only possible with heavy mechanical equipment. Initially, the heavy mechanical equipment arrived from the nearby Dead Sea Works
Dead Sea Works
The Dead Sea Works is an Israeli potash plant in Sdom, on the Dead Sea coast of Israel.-History:The company was established in 1930 by Moshe Novomeysky. It was known then as the Palestine Potash Company...
potash
Potash
Potash is the common name for various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. In some rare cases, potash can be formed with traces of organic materials such as plant remains, and this was the major historical source for it before the industrial era...
plant, and later heavy mechanical equipment was also sent from the Combat Engineering Corps.
The rescue operations continued uninterrupted during night time. By midnight all of the injured and the dead, whom were buried underneath 1,500 tons of rock and soil, were recovered.