BREAKING: At least 62 people have died after a crane collapsed on the Grand Mosque of Mecca on Friday, Saudi authorities say. According to Saudi Interior Ministry, at least 30 more people were injured in the incident. Strong winds and floods may have caused the crane to collapse.
At this stage, there is no confirmation of South Africans injured. Sahuc said it is still conducting a head count of all hujjaj.
Devastating images have surfaced on social media of bloodied bodies strewn on the floor. Access to the Haram is limited as authorities have cordoned off the area.
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE
Its believed the Saudi government has set up a commission to investigate the circumstances around the incident.
The tragedy comes ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage which is due later this month. Millions of Muslims from around the world will converge on the holy city between September 21-26.
Saudi authorities go to great lengths to be prepared for the millions of Muslims who converge on Mecca.
Last year, the kingdom reduced the numbers permitted to perform haj for safety reasons because of construction work to enlarge the Grand Mosque. VOC/RT
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To prevent a repeat of this sort of problem, the outer walls of the Grand Mosque in Mecca should be removed – that is after all how Makkah and the Grand Mosque started – with no surrounding walls. There will be no cranes about the place if the surrounding walls are gone! Taking away the outer walls will also prevent a repeat of ugly incidents such as the November 1979 siege in the Grand Mosque.
Also, considering the drownings as a result of flooding in the basement of the Grand Mosque during 1971 and the killings during the siege there by Juhayman bin Muhammad al-’Utaybi and his supporters, the basement of the Holy Mosque in Mecca should be done away with.