Saudi Arabia’s health minister said a crush that killed more than 700
people at the Hajj pilgrimage may have been caused by pilgrims failing
to follow instructions from authorities.
Aljazeera reports:
In a statement posted on the ministry’s website on
Friday, the minister, Khalid al-Falih, said an investigation would be
conducted rapidly into the worst disaster to strike the annual Hajj
pilgrimage for 25 years. At least 863 others were injured during the
stampede at the Hajj, the world’s largest annual gathering of people.
“The investigations into the incident of the stampede that took place
today in Mina, which was perhaps because some pilgrims moved without
following instructions by the relevant authorities, will be fast and
will be announced as has happened in other incidents,” the statement
said. Falih said the injured were being transferred to hospitals in
Mecca and if necessary on to other parts of the country.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said he had ordered a review
of the Hajj plans after the disaster, in which two large groups of
pilgrims collided with each other at a crossroad in Mina, a few
kilometres east of Mecca, on their way to performing the “stoning of the
devil” ritual at Jamarat. The findings of the investigation will be
submitted to King Salman, “who will take appropriate measures” in
response, the Saudi Press agency said.
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