Nine teenagers killed After Flash Floods Hit Israel's South

Nine Israeli teenagers have died and one is missing from an organized trip after flash floods swept across Israel and the West Bank on Thursday afternoon, according to Israeli emergency response services.
The nine killed, eight girls and one man aged 18, were swept away by a flash flood during a hike in Nahal Tsafit, south of the Dead Sea. One person is still missing. The rescuers have found the body of a teenage girl of around 17 in the Dead Sea area, but authorities do not yet know whether it is the body of the missing teen. Fifteen members of the group were rescued, two of whom suffered from hypothermia. The injured were taken to Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva.
Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, said on Twitter:
President Reuven Rivlin wrote about the flood on Twitter, saying “The state of Israel is mourning the loss of young promising lives in the heavy disaster.” He said Israel embraced the grieving families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Police and army helicopters have been deployed to search for the missing member of the group, but rescue works were postponed at nightfall due to harsh conditions.
The Dead Sea, the world’s lowest point at about 1,400ft below sea level, is surrounded by desert and generally arid cliffs. The Israel Meteorological Service also issued a warning on the risk of flooding in the Dead Sea region, the southern Judean Desert and the Arava. It should be noted that even relatively small quantities of rainfall in the desert can cause powerful flood waters.
> Shiuly Rina