Footage Emerges Of Mecca Crane Collapse As Death Toll Rises To 107

A crane fell through the roof of Islam’s largest mosque at 14:23 GMT yesterday, and an inquiry has been raised after the death toll rises to 107.

At least 107 people were killed when a crane toppled over at Mecca’s Grand Mosque yesterday, Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence authority confirmed. And a further 238 people were wounded.

‘All those who were wounded and the dead have been taken to hospital. There are no casualties left at the location,’ General Suleiman al-Amr, director general of the Civil Defence Authority, told al-Ikhbariya television.

Strong wind and rains had uprooted trees and rocked cranes in the area, he said.

Last year, they reduced the numbers permitted to make the haj pilgrimage because of the construction work to enlarge the Grand Mosque.

The haj, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, has been prone to disasters in the past, mainly from stampedes as pilgrims rush to complete rituals and return home. Hundreds of pilgrims died in such a crush in 2006.

Saudi authorities are now launching an investigation into the tragic incident to assess damage and look into the extent of safety of the site.