An avalanche of rocks caused the collapse of at least one of the salt caves around the area of Sodom, near the site where the formation known as Lot’s Wife stands, as the Sabbath drew to a close on Saturday.
The caves are located along the Israeli shoreline of the southern end of the Dead Sea.
Members of a family who were reportedly the last people to explore the cave told Ynet they had barely stepped into the cave before hearing the rumble of the rocks. That prompted them to hurry out of the cave.
The family said they did not hear or see any signs that anyone else was located deeper in the cave at the time.
Rescue teams rushed to the site nevertheless, in order to rule out the possibility that anyone might have been trapped under the rubble.
A larger cave system in the same general area known as the “Flour Cave” due to the flour-like consistency of the sandy floor of the cave was officially closed to the public a number of years ago, also due to an avalanche.
Numerous tremors and small earthquakes in the area have destabilized the delicate geological balance in the region, endangering the ancient caves and archaeological treasures they may contain. The Israel Antiquities Authority has launched an initiative to save as many of those artifacts as possible, as soon as possible, before they are lost to nature — or cave robbers.