j4v3d
VIP Member
At least 87 people have died after a crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.
Another 184 people have been injured when the crane fell in what Al Arabiya television said were strong storms.
The Grand Mosque is the largest in the world and surrounds Islam's holiest place, the Kaaba.
Pictures circulating on social media showed pilgrims in bloodied robes and masses of debris.
"All those who were wounded and the dead have been taken to hospital," said General Suleiman al-Amr, director general of the Civil Defence Authority. "There are no casualties left at the location."
The incident is thought to have taken place in an outer area of the mosque.
Authorities have not yet provided details of the victims' nationalities.
Millions are expected to descend on Mecca later this month for the annual hajj pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage - which all able-bodied Muslims have a duty to do at least once in their lifetime - is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world and has been prone to disasters,
Gallery: Crane Collapses On To World's Largest Mosque
Gallery: Crane Collapses On To World's Largest Mosque
Hundreds of pilgrims died in a stampede in 2006.
Saudi authorities have lavished vast sums to expand the main haj sites and improve Mecca's transportation system in an effort to prevent more disasters.
Several cranes currently surround the mosque to support the expansion.
Another 184 people have been injured when the crane fell in what Al Arabiya television said were strong storms.
The Grand Mosque is the largest in the world and surrounds Islam's holiest place, the Kaaba.
Pictures circulating on social media showed pilgrims in bloodied robes and masses of debris.
"All those who were wounded and the dead have been taken to hospital," said General Suleiman al-Amr, director general of the Civil Defence Authority. "There are no casualties left at the location."
The incident is thought to have taken place in an outer area of the mosque.
Authorities have not yet provided details of the victims' nationalities.
Millions are expected to descend on Mecca later this month for the annual hajj pilgrimage.
The pilgrimage - which all able-bodied Muslims have a duty to do at least once in their lifetime - is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world and has been prone to disasters,
1/8
Gallery: Crane Collapses On To World's Largest Mosque
Gallery: Crane Collapses On To World's Largest Mosque
Hundreds of pilgrims died in a stampede in 2006.
Saudi authorities have lavished vast sums to expand the main haj sites and improve Mecca's transportation system in an effort to prevent more disasters.
Several cranes currently surround the mosque to support the expansion.
Code:
http://news.sky.com/story/1551033/crane-collapse-kills-87-at-grand-mosque-in-mecca