The victims of the accident in Georgia recount: "At first it was quiet, then the shouting started"

37-year-old Assaf Knafo, who is now hospitalized in a minor condition with fractures to both hands, told Walla about the moments after the truck hit the Israelis' minibus.

According to him, locals helped rescue the trapped.

"I realized my hands were broken, I passed out, and then my wife slapped me to wake me up"

Yoav Itiel

09/24/2022

Saturday, September 24, 2022, 5:46 p.m. Updated: 6:56 p.m.

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On video: car accident in Georgia;

Two Israelis were killed (Walla! NEWS system)

One of the Israelis who was injured in the accident in Georgia spoke today (Saturday) in a conversation with Walla about the impact of the truck, the rescue and the injury.

"We went for a trip to the waterfalls, and after the first stop, a huge truck veered off the lane and hit us all along the bus," said 37-year-old Assaf Kanafo, who has already been taken to the Rambam Hospital in Haifa, and is in a minor condition. "At first it was quiet, then the shouting started.

We saw the men of the women who were trapped, the chairs were on them."

Locals tried to rescue us, but they couldn't get into the minibus, it was crazy. One big man managed to get in and started moving all the chairs, and that's how he got to those who were trapped," Assaf continued.

After that I realized that my hands were broken, I fainted, then my wife slapped me to wake me up.

There was also a Jordanian who lived in Georgia and assisted in the rescue.

He took us in his private car before the ambulances arrived, he took us to the hospital and saved us, he drove like a madman."

The scene of the accident in Georgia.

Yesterday (photo: screenshot, from ajara TV)

"I was in shock," said his wife Karina Knafo.

"I started shouting that I had no hands. I was sure that my hand had been cut off. I didn't feel it."

The couple added that they would like to express their gratitude to a nurse from Soroka Hospital, Yael, who celebrated her 70th birthday, and helped treat the wounded.

"She immediately surrendered," they said.

"It is important for us to say that we were showered with love. The devotion of Israelis who live in Georgia."

Meanwhile, the PassportCard insurance company is preparing to fly to Israel under intensive care conditions an insured woman in her 40s who was involved in the car accident.

The flight will depart at 2:30 and arrive at the Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem.

More in Walla!

For the second time in ten days: an Israeli was rescued from a trip in northern India after suffering from altitude sickness

To the full article

Yesterday two Israeli women were killed in the fatal traffic accident in Batumi, 17 other Israelis were injured in the incident.

According to a local TV station, the truck collided with a minibus on a bend in a mountain road near the city.

This morning, four of the group were brought to Israel and taken to Sheba in Tel Hashomer, Ichilov in Tel Aviv, and Rambam in Haifa. The embassy in Georgia said that it is in contact with the others involved in the accident who remain in the country.

The accident happened in a mountainous area near the town of Kedah, a few tens of kilometers east of Batumi, about four hours From the capital, Tbilisi, on a difficult terrain route and in the rain. The Israeli group was on its way to Makhontesti Falls. According to information from the emergency medical service, one injured person was transferred by ambulance to a medical center in Batumi, and three were hospitalized in another medical facility with superficial injuries. The Israelis killed in the accident are residents of Bat Yam and Nahariya.

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