Hundreds of Hajj Pilgrims Killed in Stampede
According to Saudi civil defense officials, the incident occurred in Mina, near Makkah, at 9 am local time after two large masses of pilgrims coming down streets 204 and 223 fused together.
The incident took place as people were heading to participate in the symbolic stoning of Satan.
Over 220 ambulances and 4,000 rescue workers have reportedly been sent to the location.
“Work is underway to separate large groups of people and direct pilgrims to alternative routes,” the Saudi Civil Defense said.
The incident happened nearly two weeks after tens of Hajj pilgrims were killed in another tragic incident in Makkah.
On September 11, a massive construction crane crashed into Makkah’s Grand Mosque in stormy weather, killing at least 107 people and injuring 201 others.
Saudi authorities have been blasted for their failure to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who converge on Makkah for Hajj every year.
Large-scale deadly accidents during Hajj have occurred on a number of occasions in years past.
In 2006, more than 360 pilgrims died in a stampede at the desert plain of Mina, near Makkah. A crush of pilgrims two years earlier left 244 dead.
The worst Hajj-related tragedy was in 1990, when 1,426 pilgrims died in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in Makkah.
