RIYADH // At least 87 people were killed and 183 injured when a construction crane crashed into the Grand Mosque in Mecca yesterday, Saudi Arabia’s civil defence said.
Pictures circulating on social media showed bloodied bodies strewn across a courtyard where the top part of the crane – which appeared to have collapsed or snapped – had crashed into it. It was raining heavily at the time.
The incident occurred as pilgrims from all over the world converged on Mecca for the Haj, which begins later this month. All members of the UAE Official Haj mission were confirmed safe by state news agency Wam.
The mosque, undergoing construction work to enlarge its area by 400,000 square metres, is surrounded by several cranes.
The construction giant Saudi Binladin Group is leading the mosque expansion. However, it was not immediately clear who owned the crane that collapsed or whether it was involved in the expansion of the mosque or another project nearby.
Saudi Arabian authorities go to great lengths to cater for the millions of Muslims who arrive to perform Haj. The pilgrimage has been mostly incident-free in recent years, with Riyadh investing billions of dollars on infrastructure to facilitate the movement of the huge numbers of people who take part.
Last year, authorities reduced the numbers allowed to perform Haj for safety reasons due to the Grand Mosque expansion. Once construction is complete, the mosque will accommodate up to 2.2 million people.
* Agencies