Nigeria, May 1 -- A stampede at a religious festival attended by tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews in northern Israel killed at least 45 people and injured about 150, on Friday.

It was one of the country's deadliest civilian disasters, according to Associated Press.

The stampede began when large numbers of people thronged a narrow tunnel-like passage during the event, according to witnesses and video footage.

People began falling on top of each other near the end of the walkway, as they descended slippery metal stairs, CBC news quoted witnesses as saying.

Before the stampede, however, celebrations of Lag BaOmer at Mount Meron had been ongoing, the first mass religious gathering to be held since Israel lifted nearly all restrict...