A pilgrim walks among dead bodies gathered after a stampede killed hundreds in Mina, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 24, 2015. AP
At least 717 people were killed in a stampede on Thursday on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, according to Saudi Arabia officials, who said the incident would not have happened “if the pilgrims had followed instructions.”
The crush happened in Mina, a large valley about three miles from the holy city of Mecca that has been the site of Hajj stampedes in years past.
In addition to the deaths, at least 805 others were injured in the stampede, officials said.
It was the second major disaster during this year's Hajj season, raising questions about the adequacy of measures put in place by Saudi authorities to ensure the safety of the roughly two million Muslims taking part in the annual religious event.
Mina is where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls, although Thursday’s crush did not happen at that exact site. The city also houses more than 160,000 tents where pilgrims spend the night during the pilgrimage.
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/9/24/hundreds-killed-hajj-stampede.html
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