About 40 people have died in what is thought to be Israel's largest ever forest fire, police have said.

Many of the victims were prison guards travelling on a bus which was caught in the inferno in the Carmel Mountains near the northern city of Haifa.

Thousands of people, including prison inmates, have been evacuated from the area.

Scores more have been injured, the ambulance service said. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has visited the affected area, said it was an "unprecedented disaster".

相关中文报道：

当地时间12月2号，以色列北部的卡梅尔山区突发森林大火，造成至少41人死亡。截至5号下午，火势已经得到基本控制。

以色列北部港城海法附近的卡梅尔国家公园12月2日下午发生空前规模森林大火，准备疏散犯人的40名狱警学员丧生。这是以建国62年来最大规模森林火灾。

以色列今年暖冬、干旱，当天气温近30度，大风助火势蔓延迅速，数百名消防员无法阻止火势。一辆前往达蒙监狱准备疏散囚犯的大巴中的40名狱警学员未及逃生，紧邻大巴的警车中的海法警察局长也被严重烧伤。5百名囚犯安全疏散，大都为巴勒斯坦人。周围1万多居民疏散，2800公顷山林草地遭毁。

以总理内塔尼亚胡当晚乘直升机视察，并发表电视讲话动员全国力量应对空前火灾。他还呼吁国际救援灭火，塞浦路斯、希腊、土耳其等8国派消防飞机和阻燃剂协助灭火。