Damaged buildings after a massive wildfire are seen in Kibbutz of Beit Oren in the Carmel, northern Israel. -- PHOTO: AP
JERUSALEM - THE death toll from northern Israel's forest fire rose to 43 on Saturday as another prison guard died of his injuries, media reports said.
Jalal Bissan, 29, died at Haifa's Rambam hospital, the Y-net news website reported, citing hospital officials.
His death raised to 38 the number of prison service fatalities from the inferno which trapped their bus shortly after the fire broke out on Dec 2 as they raced to help evacuate a prison from the approaching flames.
The fire also killed Haifa police chief Ahuva Tomer, two other policemen, a fireman and a 16-year-old firefighting volunteer.
The blaze, the worst in Israel's 62-year history, raged through the Carmel forest south of the Mediterranean city of Haifa for four days, destroying millions of trees and hundreds of homes.
It was finally brought under control on Sunday with the help of firefighting planes and personnel from more than 16 countries. -- AFP
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