Eyewitnesses to Monday morning’s terrorist attack at the Ramot junction in Jerusalem described scenes of chaos, bursts of gunfire, and desperate efforts to save the wounded.
The attack took place on bus line 62. Passengers said that as shots rang out, many fled in panic while others rushed to help those who had been hit, using belts as improvised tourniquets to stop bleeding.
“The windows were open and suddenly we heard gunfire. Nobody knew who was shooting or how many terrorists there were,” Avi Toledano told Kan News. “People fled from the bus and took cover at the nearby railway works. The shooting lasted just two or three minutes, but the panic went on for half an hour.”
He added, “At first people were shouting for their loved ones. Soldiers in the area ran to the scene, but in those first moments there was total chaos.”
Malka Cohen, who was on the bus, recalled: “The terrorists entered and fired in every direction. I managed to escape through the back door. Thank God, I was saved. It was a miracle.”
Another witness, Chaim Hirtzman, said civilians provided first aid before rescue forces arrived. “At first there were almost no security forces. People tied belts around wounds. I called for belts, and together we blocked arteries and saved lives,” he said.