A police investigation is under way after a 29-year-old teaching assistant died in a road accident involving an Egged bus in Israel.

Last Wednesday at about 11pm, three cars and an Egged bus were involved in a pile-up on the road going from Eilat to Be’ersheva.

Liat Shoham, who returned to Israel last year after living in Chigwell for ten years, was a passenger in one of the cars with four members of her family.

She was killed instantly and a further 17 people were injured. The preliminary findings in the investigation indicate that the accident was caused by one of the cars suddenly slowing down and the bus smashing into it.

Friend Rachel Lousky, also of Chigwell, said she was absolutely “traumatised” by the news. She said: “She moved back to Israel to be with her family but a lot of people in London knew her and will miss her terribly.”

Another friend, Tsila Desau, from Ness Ziona, said that the road is a notorious blackspot. She said: “There are many accidents there. Something should be done about the road safety.”

Mrs Shoham is survived by her husband Guy and four-year-old daughter Lior.

The police investigation continues.