Doha – Five Israeli citizens from Safed died in a car accident near Ouarzazate, Morocco, on Friday when their vehicle lost control and overturned, according to reports received by ZAKA headquarters at 10:00 a.m.
According to Israeli media, the victims were members of the Breslav Hassidic sect. The deceased have been identified as Moshe Gallant, 18, Meir Israel Shasha, 25, Rabbi Natan Shapira, 36, Chaim Yosef Teplinsky, 20, and Rabbi Shimon Teplinsky, 33. Two of them had families.
The group was part of a larger contingent of Breslav Hassidim who were in Morocco for a pilgrimage to pray at the tombs of Jewish sages and other holy sites. The accident occurred while they were traveling through a desert area. Concern arose when they failed to arrive at their designated meeting point, prompting a search operation with local police assistance.
Safed Mayor Yossi Kakkon addressed city residents, stating: “It is with great sadness that I learned of a serious car accident that occurred tonight in Morocco, involving a number of Safed residents. We are in constant contact with the Foreign Ministry and the official authorities handling the incident.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that its representatives in Rabat are managing the aftermath of the accident. Haim Weingarten, Deputy Director General of ZAKA, said, “We are working with the Moroccan authorities to expedite the process of releasing and identifying the bodies, and also to assist the families in doing everything possible to bring them to burial.”
Local authorities are arranging transportation of the bodies to Casablanca for identification before they can be flown to Israel for burial.
The accident coincides with Morocco’s National Motorway Company’s (ADM) warning about increased traffic during the upcoming school holiday period.
According to the Moroccan Road Safety Agency (NARSA), Morocco experiences approximately 3,600 road accident fatalities and 150,000 injuries annually, resulting in more than MAD 20 billion ($2 billion) in material damages.
The country’s General Directorate for National Security (DGSN) reported that between November 25 and December 1, 16 people died in road accidents in urban areas, with 2,155 accidents recorded resulting in 2,914 injuries, including 129 serious cases.
