A crane has collapsed at the Grand Mosque of Mecca killing dozens and injuring over 150 people just weeks before Islam’s annual Hajj pilgrimage.
12 September 2015
Two Indonesians were killed, according to the officials of the country with the world's largest Muslim community, and among the injured there were Malaysians and Iranians, AFP reported. During the hajj, one of the world's largest religious festivals, Mecca's Grand Mosque usually attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the globe.
Saudi authorities say the crane tragedy will not halt one of the world's largest religious gatherings, the hajj. To reduce accidents during the annual rite, Makkah simultaneously introduced limits on the millions of Muslims converging to the city for the hajj and broadened access paths to the shrine.
“The incident won't affect the hajj pilgrimage this year and repairs to the damaged section (of the mosque) will begin within days,” Reuters cited an unnamed Saudi official as saying.
Mecca's governor, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, has ordered an investigation into the crane collapse.
Saudi Arabian authorities said stormy winds were responsible for the crane toppling onto one of Islam's holiest shrines.
“Heavy rain and strong winds of unusually high speed led to the uprooting of trees, the fall of panels and the collapse of the crane,” Reuters cited General Suleiman al-Amr, director general of the Civil Defence Authority, as tell Al Arabiya TV on Saturday.
The death toll of 107 people may rise, as 238 people have been injured in the incident.
Some witnesses have claimed that the crane might have been struck by lightning.
11 September 2015
The death toll in the accident has jumped to 107 people, while 238 more have been injured, the Saudi Civil Defense Authority said.
Director General of the Civil Defense Authority, confirmed to al-Ikhbariya television that storm winds had uprooted trees and affected cranes in the area.
“All those who were wounded and the dead have been taken to hospital. There are no casualties left at the location,” he added.
The number of injured has risen to 201, according to Saudi authorities.
The Kingdom’s General Directorate of Civil Defense blamed the accident on severe storms, according to its official Twitter.
Rescue work is underway inside the mosque, Civil Defense says.
The head of Russia’s Mufti Council Rawil Gaynetdin has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.
“In these mournful days, we ask the Creator to grant the families of the victims mental and physical strength to overcome the pain of irreplaceable loss, as well as give great patience,” he said.
The governor of the Makkah region, the capital of which is Mecca, Khalid al-Faisal has ordered the launch of an investigation into the causes of the accident.
The Civil Defense directorate has released a photo of its teams working at the site of the accident.
A video posted on YouTube appears to show the moment the crane crashed.
The death toll in the crane crash at the Grand Mosque of Mecca has risen to 87, the Saudi civil defense directorate said on its Twitter. As many as 184 people were injured.
The Saudi General Directorate of Civil Defense has corrected the number of injured to 154.
Authorities arrive at the scene of the crane crash:
A video posted on Twitter appears to show the moment of the crash.
At least 65 people have died and at least 154 were injured after a crane collapsed on the Grand Mosque of Mecca on Friday, Saudi Interior Ministry says.