"I started screaming - but no one heard": A female soldier was trapped in a bus luggage compartment

An unusual and alarming incident occurred last Friday in Tiberias, when a soldier in regular service was trapped in a luggage compartment of an Egged bus in the heart of the city, was injured, and required medical treatment.

The incident began when the bus stopped near the Europe Hotel. The soldier entered the luggage compartment to retrieve her bag, and the door closed on her suddenly.

"I started screaming hysterically but no one heard," the soldier recalled. "I tried to block the closing with my leg, but the door closed on it while it was exposed outside."

Without the driver noticing, the bus continued driving towards the central station.

"In two seconds I entered a horror movie," the soldier said. "I felt helpless, I was afraid that my leg would be crushed by a passing vehicle or the sidewalk."

The soldier managed to dial the police 100 hotline and call for help while knocking hard on the sides. Thanks to traffic congestion, passersby noticed her leg protruding from the luggage compartment and heard the knocking. They immediately alerted the driver, who stopped and opened the door.

The soldier was rescued, suffering from pain and injuries to her leg and head, and was evacuated by ambulance to the Ziv Medical Center.

Egged's response:

Egged regrets the incident. An inquiry revealed that the driver did not notice the soldier's entry into the luggage compartment and was sure that she had already gotten off the bus and walked away. It was an incident caused unintentionally. Immediately upon realizing what had happened, the driver stopped, rescued her, and checked if she needed medical treatment. Later, he contacted her by phone to inquire about her well-being. Egged wishes her a speedy recovery.