Disasters in recent years at the annual Muslim pilgrimage, or hajj, in Saudi Arabia:
- Jan. 12, 2006: Hundreds of pilgrims are killed and many others are injured in a stampede caused when some pilgrims tripped over dropped luggage amid people rushing to carry out the symbolic ritual of stoning the devil in Mina.
Feb. 1, 2004: 244 pilgrims killed and a similar number injured in a stampede during the devil-stoning ritual.
March 5, 2001: 35 killed in stampede during stoning of the devil ritual.
April 9, 1998: About 180 pilgrims are trampled to death when panic erupts after several fell off an overpass during the stoning of the devil ritual.
April 15, 1997: Fires driven by high winds tear through an overcrowded tent city at Mina, killing more than 340 pilgrims and injuring 1,500. Aid workers and diplomats said the death toll was at least 500.
May 23, 1994: 270 pilgrims, most of them Indonesian, are killed in a stampede as worshippers surge forward for devil-stoning ritual.
July 2, 1990: 1,426 pilgrims, many of them Malaysians, Indonesian and Pakistanis, killed in Mecca stampede in overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites. The worst hajj tragedy of modern times.
July 9, 1989: Two bombs explode in Mecca, killing one pilgrim, wounding 16. Saudi authorities blame Iranian-inspired terrorists and later behead 16 Kuwaiti Shiite Muslims for bombings. Iran denied involvement.
July 31, 1987: More than 400 people, mostly Iranian pilgrims, killed and 649 wounded in Mecca when security forces clash with Iranians staging illegal anti-U.S. demonstration.
May allah(swt) bless the killed with jannah, however my comment is simply i blame the Saudi government for this, the News article is a short history of what happens time and time again. When will they learn sure 3 million plus people are there but this no excuse, they are incompetent and typical puppet rulers who can only take orders from the likes of Washington and London, They have shown they are not fit to rule any such thing resembling a state!
ak blames the west for these people running over and crushing one other so they can toss rocks at the "devil". Love the shift in blame, taking resposibility is a bitch, just blame the west or Israel, great credo.
The Saudi interior ministry had promised a “special plan” to ensure a smooth flow of pilgrims towards the pillars.
Saudi troops patrolled the area, monitoring crowds, and helicopters flew overhead.
First aid crews and ambulances also gathered under the bridge to deal with those affected by the overcrowding or heat exhaustion.
“It was a piece of cake this year,” Mecca native Sulayman Fallata told the AFP news agency.
Saudi Arabia has spent millions of dollars since 2004 to improve safety measures at Mina.
New footbridges with emergency exits were built and three new pillars were erected that were wider and taller than ones used previously, so more pilgrims could pelt rocks at the same time.
A fatwa, or religious edict, was also issued to allow the stoning to begin before the dawn prayer.
how does that help in controlling the flow of people? what they need to do is control the direction of people coming towards and leaving the ‘devil area’, only a limited number of people should be allowed in a given time to enter and force to leave early instead of them climbing the devil and hitting him with their chappal.
Does the Saudi government have quotas on how many people can come for the pilgrimage at a certain time? Maybe they should significantly reduce those quotas.
Geesh ak47, give it a break already. Your fellow muslims have died in a horrible tragic accident and the best you can muster is more kalifah crap? How about a prayer for those who died. How despicable.
Jan. 12, 2006: Hundreds of pilgrims are killed and many others are injured in a stampede caused when some pilgrims tripped over dropped luggage amid people rushing to carry out the symbolic ritual of stoning the devil in Mina.
Feb. 1, 2004: 244 pilgrims killed and a similar number injured in a stampede during the devil-stoning ritual.
March 5, 2001: 35 killed in stampede during stoning of the devil ritual.
April 9, 1998: About 180 pilgrims are trampled to death when panic erupts after several fell off an overpass during the stoning of the devil ritual.
April 15, 1997: Fires driven by high winds tear through an overcrowded tent city at Mina, killing more than 340 pilgrims and injuring 1,500. Aid workers and diplomats said the death toll was at least 500.
May 23, 1994: 270 pilgrims, most of them Indonesian, are killed in a stampede as worshippers surge forward for devil-stoning ritual.
July 2, 1990: 1,426 pilgrims, many of them Malaysians, Indonesian and Pakistanis, killed in Mecca stampede in overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites. The worst hajj tragedy of modern times.
July 9, 1989: Two bombs explode in Mecca, killing one pilgrim, wounding 16. Saudi authorities blame Iranian-inspired terrorists and later behead 16 Kuwaiti Shiite Muslims for bombings. Iran denied involvement.
July 31, 1987: More than 400 people, mostly Iranian pilgrims, killed and 649 wounded in Mecca when security forces clash with Iranians staging illegal anti-U.S. demonstration.
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9 examples have happened situations like these are can be prevented responsibility lies with the Saudi Government nobody else!**
Feb. 1, 2004: 244 pilgrims killed and a similar number injured in a stampede during the devil-stoning ritual.
March 5, 2001: 35 killed in stampede during stoning of the devil ritual.
April 9, 1998: About 180 pilgrims are trampled to death when panic erupts after several fell off an overpass during the stoning of the devil ritual.
April 15, 1997: Fires driven by high winds tear through an overcrowded tent city at Mina, killing more than 340 pilgrims and injuring 1,500. Aid workers and diplomats said the death toll was at least 500.
May 23, 1994: 270 pilgrims, most of them Indonesian, are killed in a stampede as worshippers surge forward for devil-stoning ritual.
July 2, 1990: 1,426 pilgrims, many of them Malaysians, Indonesian and Pakistanis, killed in Mecca stampede in overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites. The worst hajj tragedy of modern times.
July 9, 1989: Two bombs explode in Mecca, killing one pilgrim, wounding 16. Saudi authorities blame Iranian-inspired terrorists and later behead 16 Kuwaiti Shiite Muslims for bombings. Iran denied involvement.
July 31, 1987: More than 400 people, mostly Iranian pilgrims, killed and 649 wounded in Mecca when security forces clash with Iranians staging illegal anti-U.S. demonstration.
9 examples have happened situations like these are can be prevented responsibility lies with the Saudi Government nobody else!
AK it’s a logistical issue, they have done enough but it’s the public who wants to do things/ take things a little further, that’s why these things happen, .
dont bring religion into everything, you are giving religion a bad name,
terrible tragedy most of the dead are Indians and Pakistanis..may Allah look after the injuired and give strength to the families that have lost loved ones...
According to some we should leave that to Allah and not make any arrangements for Hajj! This is the type of thinking that does not value the gift of life that Allah has given us.