Historic "firestorm" at northern Israel kills 40

JERUSALEM. December 3. KAZINFORM At least 40 people were killed in what officials described a historic "firestorm" near Israel's port city of Haifa on Thursday; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

A bus loaded with police and prison guards heading to a security prison near the conflagration lost control and turned over, prison service officials said, adding the guards were trying to reach the endangered Damon facility to help evacuate the prisoners.

Around 500 prisoners in the Damon prison were reported to have been safely evacuated earlier in the afternoon.

Magen David Adom rescue crews and firefighters fought to reach survivors trapped in the vehicle among the flames.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Thursday asked a few European countries to send firefighting aircraft to help fight the blaze. Ten planes are now on their way from Cyprus, Greece and Spain. Israel has no such aircraft of it's own by far.

There are reports of many casualties among the firefighters; Kazinform cites Xinhua.

See www.xinhuanet.com for full version.