An Egged bus overturned and fell into a pit 300 meters deep overnight Thursday, killing two people and injuring seven.

The accident took place on Highway 60, on the road to Maaleh Levona, located southwest of the city of Ariel in the Binyamin region.

Magen David Adom paramedics who were called to the scene treated seven victims, among them three with serious injuries, two with moderate injuries and two more who were lightly injured.

The victims were evacuated to the Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, the Sheba Hospital at Tel Hashomer and the Shaarei Tzedek Hospital in Jerusalem.

Fire crews who were called to the scene are searching for passengers who may have been trapped under the bus.

A large number of volunteer paramedics from United Hatzalah rushed to the scene as well.

Menachem Leff, Head of the Binyamin region of United Hatzalah, said, “United Hatzalah first responders who arrived at the scene have requested that lighting be brought, as well as search and rescue crews, fire rescue crews and helicopters be dispatched in order to help reach those on the bus. Due to the extreme nature of the incident, volunteers have also been dispatched from the Jerusalem and Samaria chapters of United Hatzalah."

Michael Chai Cohen, a volunteer from United Hatzalah who arrived at the scene of the accident, said that reaching the overturned bus proved to be very difficult.

"I came from the community of Adam and when I arrived at the scene on foot, together with other volunteers, we had to walk for 10 minutes in the rain and mud until we got to the bus. Unfortunately, upon arrival we found several victims who were unconscious and without a pulse,” he said.

The Central Bureau of Statistics said this week that 378 people were killed on the roads in Israel in 2016, an increase of 6% from 2015.

In the last week alone, 11 people were killed in road accidents across the country.