Following the Tuesday afternoon crash of a bus ferrying Russian tourists from a local airport to the Israeli resort town of Eilat, Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries are working with authorities to ascertain the identity of victims and offer help to the affected families.

According to the latest reports, at least 24 people were killed and 28 injured when their bus hurtled down a ravine after its driver attempted to overtake another tour bus. Both buses were carrying passengers from a flight arriving at Ovda Airport and booked by an Israeli travel agency for tourists from S. Petersburg.

Reached in S. Petersburg, Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Chaim Shaul Brook said that he had set up a situation room to gather information at the request of local families. He was in contact with Rabbi Mendy Klein, program director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Eilat, who was at the local Yoseftal Hospital to check on patients airlifted there from the scene of the crash.

“Right now, we’re checking into the identities of all the passengers,” said Brook, who was giving regular updates to local families. “What’s unconfirmed is that this was primarily a tour for travel agents from S. Petersburg.”

A spokesman from Israel’s Tourism Ministry said that while there were some travel agents on board, further information could not be released.