Thousands of revellers were seen chaotically attempting to flee, as at least 44 people died in a stampede at a religious festival near Mount Meron, in northern Israel, in the early hours of Friday morning.

During the stampede, which involved a structure collapsing at the festival, several people slipped, causing dozens more to fall as a consequence. Authorities evacuated the festival and a field hospital was set-up on site, while dozens of ambulances and six helicopter evacuated the injured.

Some 150 people were reportedly injured, including 18 in a serious condition.

The incident took place as tens of thousands of primarily ultra-Orthodox Jews participated in the annual event, around the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a 2nd-century Tannaitic sage. The festival was the largest event taking place in the country since the beginning of the pandemic.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the incident a ‘heavy disaster.’