Ten minutes before 8AM this morning, a crowded Dan Company bus number 87 stopped to pick up northbound passengers on the Geha Highway opposite Bar-Ilan University, near Ramat Gan, when - unknowing to the bus driver – an Arab passenger trying to board the bus through the back doors, slipped and fell on the pavement outside as the doors closed. When the bus began to pull away several passengers alerted the driver as to what happened. The driver stopped the bus and along with a doctor on board, went to attend to the fallen passenger. After approaching the man laying on the ground the two caught a glimpse of something suspicious wrapped around the Arab’s body, which turned out to be an explosives belt. The driver and the doctor then grabbed the bomber’s arms preventing him from detonating his device and screamed for everyone on the bus to flee.
When the bus was cleared the two men let the Arab go and started running away. Seconds later, the bomber ran towards a group of people nearby and detonated his explosives killing himself along with an Israeli woman. Eleven others were lightly wounded in the attack. The victims were transported to nearby hospitals. Eyewitnesses say that had the Arab succeeded in boarding the bus, the tragedy would have been catastrophic.
When the bus was cleared the two men let the Arab go and started running away. Seconds later, the bomber ran towards a group of people nearby and detonated his explosives killing himself along with an Israeli woman. Eleven others were lightly wounded in the attack. The victims were transported to nearby hospitals. Eyewitnesses say that had the Arab succeeded in boarding the bus, the tragedy would have been catastrophic.