Workers tend to man injured in Jerusalem terror
attack near
central bus station, March 23, 2011. - Photo: AP
Alert resident spotted Jerusalem bomb just before it exploded; man wounded in blast
Ronen Medzini
Published: 03.23.11, 19:44 / Israel NewsRonen Medzini
Man's vigilance reduced number of casualties: One of the wounded in Wednesday's terror attack called police after spotting a suspicious object near a bus station, possibly saving civilian lives and minimizing the number of casualties in Jerusalem.
The man, David Amoyal, informed police, but call was interrupted by the explosion that killed a 59-yea-old woman and wounded 38, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said.
"He saw a suspicious bag and told some youths who were nearby to stay away while he called police," said Barkat after arriving a the Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem. "During his call, the device went off. If he had a little more time, it's possible that there would be fewer casualties."
The mayor added that Amoyal needed only a few more minutes to clear the area of civilians. "I applaud his efforts, it shows that everyone needs to be alert."
Barkat made it clear that the city will be back to business as usual shortly.
"We won't let anyone ruin our lives," he said, "The Jerusalem Marathon will go ahead as planned, and there is no change in Jerusalem's ability to handle this kind of terror attack. I hope the terrorists will be exposed; we aren't the only city hit in the last few days. We need to be patient and maintain restraint."
At around 3:00 pm an explosive device weighing between 1-2 kilograms (2.2-4.4 pounds) went off near a bus station at the entrance to Jerusalem. Dozens of people were hurt including one woman who was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Hadassah Medical Center.
Aviad Glickman contributed to this report
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Mayor Barkat: ‘We Won’t Let Terror Harm Regular Life’
Jerusalem Mayor Barkat at the Scene of the Terror Attack
Uploaded by IsraelNationalTV on Mar 23, 2011
