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Thursday, September 24, 2015

Haj stampede claims over 700 lives outside the Holy city of Mecca Thursday Sep 24,2015



A huge stampede killed at least 717 people and injured hundreds more at the Haj in Saudi Arabia on Thursday Sep 24,2015, in one of the worst-ever tragedies at the annual Muslim pilgrimage. 



The stampede, the second deadly accident to hit the pilgrims this month following a crane collapse in Mecca, broke out during the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual
The stampede occurred at the intersection of Street 204 and Street 223, when it is believed two waves of pilgrims travelling in different directions collided. On Day one of the Hajj, pilgrims walk to Mina where they spend the night. On Day two, they climb nearby Mount Arafat, where Mohammed gave his final sermon. On Day three (today), pilgrims celebrate Eid al-Adha with the stoning of three pillars at Jamarat, which represents Satan. On Day four they return to Mecca for the final tawaf, which involves circling the Kaaba, at the centre of the Grand Mosque
Saudi medics stand near bodies of Hajj pilgrims at the site where hundreds were killed in a stampede in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca
Witnesses say Hajj stampede was caused by Saudi officials closing roads for dignitaries
    The death toll is at least 719, with more than 800 injured, but authorities warned that they expected the numbers to increase as they continued to count the bodies


 A large proportion - at least 131 - were Iranians


More than 220 rescue vehicles and 4,000 members of the emergency services were deployed to try to ease the congestion and provide alternative exit routes Deaths such as these have occurred numerous times during Hajj despite the use of surveillance cameras to limit the number of people converging on the site.  The disaster is the worst to strike the pilgrimage since 1990 when at least 1,426 pilgrims perished in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites. 14 Indians, including Mohammed from Kerala and Bibijan from Hyderabad, being killed at the Mecca stampede, Haj Committee of India CEO Ataur Rahman toldAt least 13 Indians were injured among more than 800 being treated for wounds in Saudi hospitals  
        
   

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