Jerusalem bus blast causes around 20 casualties €“ Israeli media

An explosion aboard a bus in Jerusalem caused around 20 casualties on Monday, Israeli media said, and police said it may have been a militant attack or the result of a fire from other causes.

Television images showed smoke billowing from two burned-out buses, one of which apparently set fire to the other, on Derech Hebron, an area in southwest Jerusalem close to the boundary with the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Smoke billowed over the horizon.

It was not immediately clear if the casualties included fatalities. Israel's Magen David Adom ambulances service said it had taken 10 wounded people to hospitals and that others remained at the site of the blast.

Attacks on Israeli buses by suicide bombers were a hallmark of the Palestinian uprising in 2000-2005 but have been rare since.

An Israeli police spokeswoman initially said there were indications that Monday's incident was a militant attack, but in an updated statement said it may have begun when an empty bus caught fire, ignited another bus that had passengers aboard.

related articles
Archaeologists uncover 1,600-year-old winery in Jerusalem
Archaeologists uncover 1,600-year-old winery in Jerusalem

Archaeologists uncover 1,600-year-old winery in Jerusalem

Rare seal found in Jerusalem reveals pre-Christian woman of power and authority
Rare seal found in Jerusalem reveals pre-Christian woman of power and authority

Rare seal found in Jerusalem reveals pre-Christian woman of power and authority

Why Jerusalem\'s Church of the Holy Sepulchre is falling down
Why Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre is falling down

Why Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre is falling down

News
Over £900,000 awarded to help UK churches stay open amid growing funding pressures
Over £900,000 awarded to help UK churches stay open amid growing funding pressures

Hundreds of churches across the UK are receiving vital financial support to remain open and safe, as rising repair costs and shrinking funding streams place historic buildings under increasing strain.

How to make the most of the quiet period between Christmas and New Year
How to make the most of the quiet period between Christmas and New Year

Make the most of these last days of the year to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with God.

US carries out strikes on Islamic State in Nigeria over violence against Christians
US carries out strikes on Islamic State in Nigeria over violence against Christians

The US military has conducted airstrikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Nigeria over the violent "targeting" of Christians. 

Gay Archbishop of Wales says some people have left Church over her appointment
Gay Archbishop of Wales says some people have left Church over her appointment

The first openly gay Archbishop of Wales says her appointment has caused some people to leave the Church in Wales.