"Millions of litres of oil gushing out of a breached pipeline flooded a desert nature reserve in Israel overnight, causing one of the country’s worst environmental disasters, officials and media said.

Three people were hospitalised after inhaling fumes released by an accidental rupture in the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline near the Evrona reserve, on the Jordanian border, police said.

Israel Radio reported Wednesday night’s breach happened during maintenance work."

Dan Williams reports for Reuters December 4, 2014. [2]