Death Toll from Explosion Continues to Rise; Committee Continues Probe

The death toll rose to 20 in the aftermath of the ammunition explosion at Eilat’s military harbor Saturday afternoon. The blast killed 18 Israeli soldiers and civilian workers, most of them instantly, and wounded 42 others. Two of the wounded succumbed today as funeral services were held for the other dead in a half dozen cities, towns and settlements all over the country. A military committee named by Chief of Staff Gen. Haim Bar Lev is investigating the cause of the disaster but has issued no statement yet. It is generally believed now that the explosion was touched off by an active mine, part of a truckload of mines being unloaded at the military dock. The mines were brought to Eilat reportedly after being planted on the Egyptian island of Shadwan in the Gulf of Suez by Israeli paratroopers who occupied the island for 32 hours last week.

It was not clear why the Israelis removed the mines once they had been laid, as Egyptian forces presumably will return to Shadwan. The Israelis also removed tons of Egyptian military hardware and ammunition and an entire Decca radar unit. According to unofficial reports, six tons of mines were returned to Eilat and were de-activated while in transit. But due to an error or oversight, one of them was “live” when it was being discharged as part of a truckload on to the Eilat dock. A jar to the truck touched it off causing the truck to blow up, it was said today.

Military authorities released the names of 16 dead yesterday. The names of the other four, released today, are Sgt. Maj. Yeshayahu Miller, 25, of Mishmar Hashiva; Pvt. Yoram Alfi, 20, of Tel Aviv; Pvt. Shmuel Posner, 39, of Holon; and Sgt. Maj. Moshe Maayan, 22, of Holon. Most of the injured soldiers are at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, Eellinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah and Tel Hashomer Hospital in Tel Aviv.