Tourists killed in Israel crash

A bus carrying Russian tourists has plunged into a ravine in southern Israel, killing at least 20 people, rescue workers say.

About 50 passengers were on the bus when it came off a desert road and rolled down a steep slope near the Red Sea resort of Eilat.

Ambulances and several air force helicopters rushed to the site to assist the injured.

Many were taken to hospital in Eilat, reports said.

The group, believed to be from the Russian city of St Petersburg, had only just arrived in Israel, local media reports said.

The BBC's Paul Wood, in Jerusalem, says that it is being seen as a tragic accident rather than any kind of attack.