At least three people were killed on Thursday, including two young children when a public bus slammed into a group of people waiting at a station in Jerusalem, MDA emergency services said.
The bus driver lost control of his vehicle and it collided with the bus station outside a shopping mall, killing a 30-year old pregnant woman, two little girls aged 2 and 7 - members of her family, and wounding six others, one critically.
By passers attempted to provide initial assistance to the wounded as the chaotic scene unfolded.
Bus crashes into people waiting at stop in J'lm
Police were investigating whether the driver stepped out of the bus without activating the handbrakes, causing it to slide quickly down the road.
This was the second accident involving a public bus in Jerusalem this wee after another driver lost control of his vehicle and killed a pedestrian in his 70's.
Bus company spokesperson said the crash will be investigated and the union of bus drivers said their members were overworked due to understaffing.
"Our drivers are on the verge of collapse after most work long hours every day," the union said. "Buses have become ticking time bombs. It is time for the Transportation Ministry officials to take this shortage seriously to save the lives of drivers and passengers," the union said.
Earlier in a separate incident, a seven-year old girl and her aunt were killed when their car collided with a truck near Netanya.