Six foreign workers injured in explosion of old munition in Metula

Six foreign workers were injured early Tuesday morning when an old explosive detonated in an agricultural field in Metula, according to Israeli police and medics. Metula is Israel’s northernmost community, located near the border with Lebanon, which has been the site of heavy fighting over the past three years. The Magen David Adom ambulance service stated that medics, in coordination with an IDF medical team, evacuated the wounded via helicopter and ambulances to Ziv Medical Center in Safed. According to Ziv, two people were seriously injured, one was moderately injured, and all were admitted to the trauma room for treatment, while three others were treated in the emergency department. The Ynet news site reported that the farmhands were from Thailand. The Metula Municipality stated the incident occurred in a nectarine orchard and that, based on current details, it was an old bomb that had gone undiscovered until it was accidentally set off. Police are investigating the cause of the explosion and have urged the public not to touch any shrapnel or debris they may encounter.