Two Montrealers among dead after stampede at religious festival in Israel

Two Montrealers are among the dead after a stampede during a religious festival in Israel early Friday.

The Israeli consulate in Montreal identified one of the dead as Shraga Gestetner, a well-known singer, in a post on social media.

Lionel Perez, the city's municipal opposition leader, wrote on Twitter that the other Montreal victim was Dovi Steinmetz.

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante also expressed her sympathy with the city's Jewish community and the friends and family of the victims in a post on Twitter.

At least 45 people were killed and about 150 seriously injured during the celebration Lag BaOmer at Mount Meron in Israel in one of the country's deadliest civilian disasters.

The celebration, attended by tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews, was the first mass religious gathering held in Israel since the country lifted nearly all coronavirus-related restrictions.