Arson Investigation Underway In Israel As Fire Engulfs 35 Buses In Parking Lot: Report

A fire broke out Saturday at an Israeli bus company in an area just east of Tel Aviv, engulfing about 35 buses in flames. No injuries were immediately reported, but the possibility of arson is being investigated by local authorities, Ynet News reported .

The fire erupted in Bnei Brak at a Dan bus company lot, across from the Alayon Mall in Ramat Gan, a city within the Tel Aviv District, the Jerusalem Post reported. While the cause of the fire wasn’t initially clear to authorities, residents reported hearing explosions near the area of the fire, the report said.

Firefighters were seen trying to quell the flames Saturday afternoon, the Jerusalem Post reported, and local authorities closed nearby roads to traffic. Bus drivers were seen by locals rushing to other buses in the lot to remove them from the fire’s reach. It is unknown how much destruction the fire has caused.

“Our initial information points to about 20 damaged buses as a result of the fire, but we will only know once it’s out,” Dan spokesperson Eitan Foxman said earlier in the day, local media reported. “Usually there are hundreds of buses on the lot. It’s still early to speak to the cause of the fire.”

The bus fire comes amid growing violence in other areas of Israel as a mounting number of Palestinians have died after conflicts with Israeli police and numerous Israelis have suffered stab wounds, some fatal. The bus fire has so far not been linked to the Palestinian-Israeli conflicts of this month.

Three Palestinians were fatally shot earlier Saturday, two of whom were teenagers, by Israeli forces, the Washington Post reported. A 16-year-old was killed in Jerusalem at a checkpoint after authorities said he pulled a knife, and two other people were shot and killed in the West Bank after they reportedly pulled out knives in separate incidents.

Palestinians set fire to a Jewish holy shrine, the Tomb of the Prophet Joseph, Friday. The site was severely damaged, but there have so far been no reports of injuries.