Ten teenagers died and several others were seriously injured in flash floods that struck Israel near the Dead Sea, the country's rescue service said Thursday.

The teenagers, all of whom were 18 years old, were hiking near the Dead Sea with a group of 25 students in a pre-army course when the kids were "caught off guard," spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told the Associated Press.

The hike occurred in Nahal Tzafit, a popular canyon trail south of the Dead Sea , according to the Times of Israel.

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At least nine other teenagers in the group were seriously injured, officials told the AP. Police and army helicopters were among nearly 700 people who searched for the missing until nightfall, when the search was halted , Haaretz reported.

On Friday, three youth leaders were arrested on charges of negligence following the tragedy , the Washington Post reported. Nine of the victims were female, and one was male, the report added.

An Israeli news station broadcast a WhatsApp exchange between one of the victims and her friend; the victim complained about the dangers they experienced along the hike before it turned fatal.

"We could end up dying there," the girl said to her friend, as reported by the Washington Post.

Two other teenagers were killed by flooding in Israel on Wednesday, Haaretz also said.

"Israel grieves the promising young lives that were cut off by this tragedy in the Arava," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. "We embrace the families with grief and pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded."