MDA teams treated 115 patients at the missile strike sites in Dimona and Arad. Among them: 11 in serious condition, 20 in moderate condition, and 84 in mild condition, who were injured by shrapnel and while making their way to shelters.
Last night (Saturday), at approximately 19:00, calls were received at MDA’s 101 emergency dispatch center following a direct impact that caused extensive damage to several buildings in Dimona. Large MDA forces were dispatched to the scene, providing medical treatment and evacuating 31 patients to Soroka Hospital. The patients were injured by shrapnel and while making their way to shelters, including: 1 in serious condition, 1 in moderate condition, and 29 in mild condition, as well as 23 individuals suffering from anxiety symptoms.
Approximately three hours later, at around 22:15, calls were received at MDA’s 101 emergency dispatch center following a direct missile strike that caused extensive destruction in Arad. Large numbers of MDA teams were dispatched to the scene, including back-up teams of mobile intensive care units and ambulances from additional regions. MDA teams treated and evacuated 84 patients to Soroka Hospital. The patients were injured by shrapnel and while making their way to shelters, including: 10 in serious condition, 19 in moderate condition, and 55 in mild condition, as well as 4 individuals suffering from anxiety symptoms.
In total, across the two scenes in southern Israel, MDA EMTs and paramedics, working in close cooperation with all security forces on site and conducting extensive searches to locate patients among the rubble, provided medical treatment and evacuated 115 patients to the hospital: 11 in serious condition, 20 in moderate condition, and 84 in mild condition. In addition, 27 people suffering from anxiety symptoms were treated. MDA Blood Services supplied Soroka Hospital with 90 units of blood and blood components.
At the scene in Dimona
MDA paramedic Carmel Cohen said: “There were several adjacent scenes. We were on scene with large numbers of ambulances, mobile intensive care units, and MDA emergency medicycles. There was extensive destruction and chaos. We established a casualty concentration point where we gathered the patients, triaged them, and provided medical treatment, and then evacuated them to the hospital. Among the patients were a boy around 10 years old and a woman around 30 years old in moderate condition.”
MDA EMT Yakir Talkar said: “As soon as we received the reports and the early warning, we entered a shelter. A few minutes later, we heard a loud explosion and received reports from MDA’s 101 dispatch center about several scenes in the city of Dimona. Large MDA teams went out to search, and at the scene I attended, there was significant chaos. I saw destruction in a single-story residential building and shrapnel damage to several surrounding structures. About 15 people were walking around the scene, some said they were in a shelter at the time of the impact, and others were on their way there. They suffered minor injuries and cuts from shattered glass. We established a casualty concentration point, conducted medical assessments, and evacuated those who required further treatment to the hospital. There were also individuals suffering from anxiety symptoms who were treated by MDA teams.”
MDA Senior EMT Shai Binyamin and MDA EMT Gadot Vaknin said: “Along with large numbers of MDA teams, we arrived at a scene where we saw extensive destruction. In several buildings there were trapped individuals calling for help, while Fire & Rescue and Home Front Command forces were working to rescue them. We heard cries for help from inside damaged homes, and civilians in the street told us that elderly residents lived there. Near a public shelter on the street, we saw several patients, including a man around 30 years old suffering from bleeding head injuries and another patient with minor shrapnel injuries while on the way to a shelter. We provided medical treatment, including bleeding control and bandaging, and evacuated them to Soroka Hospital in stable condition. Additional MDA teams are treating more patients at the scene.”
At the scene in Arad
MDA EMT Yakir Talker said: “This is a very serious scene. We arrived with large numbers of ambulances, mobile intensive care units, and MDA medicycles. We saw many patients with varying degrees of injury as a result of a missile impact. We immediately began establishing a casualty concentration point, triaged the patients according to the severity of their injuries, and provided life-saving medical treatment. There is extensive destruction and chaos. The teams are currently conducting comprehensive searches and will continue operating here as long as required.”
Senior MDA EMT Riyad Abu Ajaj said: “When we arrived, we saw an impact site with structural damage and extensive destruction, with significant chaos. Together with security forces, we conducted searches to locate additional patients. We provided medical treatment to many patients, including children. We are evacuating them to the hospital and continuing searches at the scene.”
MDA EMT Yeshayahu Rahabi said: “As soon as we received the reports of the impact, we set out in large numbers. I arrived within minutes and saw extensive destruction, smoke, shattered glass, and major chaos. I immediately began providing medical treatment to several patients at the scene. MDA forces that arrived established a treatment and casualty concentration point. Rescued patients were brought there, where we provided immediate medical care. MDA teams continue to search the scenes, treat patients with varying degrees of injury, and evacuate them to hospitals.”
MDA Senior EMT Saar Shachori said: “This is a difficult scene. We saw extensive destruction in several buildings, with thick black smoke rising from multiple locations and significant chaos. Together with many MDA teams, we began searching for patients and established a treatment point near the scene. We called out using a megaphone for patients to come, where we provided initial medical care. Those requiring evacuation were transported to the hospital by MDA ambulances and mobile intensive care units. Through the rubble, I identified four patients: a 4-year-old girl in serious condition, one in moderate condition, and two children in mild condition. They were frightened and called for help. I ran to them, assisted them out of the rubble, provided life-saving treatment, and evacuated them to the hospital.”
Zaki Heller
MDA Spokesperson
