Five Injured in Golan Land Mine Blast

A family of five accidentally entered marked minefield area in a closed military zone; 11 year-old boy was seriously injured, sister sustained moderate wounds

Five people were injured on Saturday (Feb. 6) when they accidentally entered a marked minefield which exploded in the Mount Avital region, near Kibbutz Merom Golan in the Golan Heights. An 11-year old boy suffered severe injuries to his legs. His sister, 12, was moderately injured from shrapnel. A third sibling and two adults sustained minor injuries. The victims were evacuated to Rambam Hospital in Haifa via helicopter.
Israel Army Radio reported that the family was hiking in the area, when they accidentally entered closed military grounds which had land mine warning signs. The father, together with two of his children, climbed down the mountain. During the climb, one of the boys stepped on a mine, which caused a powerful explosion. The father managed to rescue his son on his own, until teams of Magen David Adom, the Israel Police and the IDF 669 rescue unit arrived.
IDF repeats and emphasizes that those traveling around the Golan and Mount Hermon are asked not to enter land mine marked areas. Due to this serious accident, scans were conducted Saturday afternoon in the area, as well as in other marked minefields, in order to prevent other travelers from accidentally entering hazardous areas. Investigation on the incident is currently continuing.