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| Mecca: hajj crush kills hundreds near holy city – live coverage | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 11.04am BST11:04 | |
| AFP has more details of the stoning the devil ritual, during which the stampede occurred. | |
| Thursday’s ritual was taking place at a five-storey structure known as the Jamarat Bridge, which cost more than $1 billion (£0.66 billion) to build, and which was used during earlier pilgrimages. | |
| Almost one kilometre (less than a mile) long, it resembles a parking garage and allows 300,000 pilgrims an hour to carry out the ritual. | |
| The faithful had gathered until dawn Thursday at nearby Muzdalifah where they chose their pebbles and stored them in empty water bottles. | |
| They had spent a day of prayer Wednesday on a vast Saudi plain and Mount Arafat, a rocky hill about 10 kilometres (six miles) from Mina, for the peak of the hajj pilgrimage. | |
| It was not immediately clear if the stoning ritual at Mina would continue as planned until Saturday after the stampede. | |
| The ritual emulates the Prophet Abraham, who is said to have stoned the devil at three locations when he tried to dissuade Abraham from God’s order to sacrifice his son Ishmael. | |
| At the last moment, God spares the boy, sending a sheep to be sacrificed in his place. | |
| The world’s Muslims commemorated Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son by slaughtering cows, sheep and other animals on Thursday. | |
| 10.57am BST10:57 | |
| The Saudi press agency said today that the the total number of pilgrims for this year’s hajj was 1.95m, which included 1.38m foreigners. | |
| 10.52am BST10:52 | |
| Approximately 25,000 UK nationals travel to Saudi Arabia for the hajj, according to the Britihs Hajji Delegation, which provides on the ground medical support to British citizens during the pilgrimage. | |
| A spokesman for the UK foreign office said: | |
| We are in contact with local authorities and urgently seeking more information following reports of a crush during the hajj pilgrimage at Mecca. | |
| 10.45am BST10:45 | 10.45am BST10:45 |
| Death toll rises to 310 | Death toll rises to 310 |
| The death toll continues to rise. It now stands at 310, according to Saudi civil defence. Unsurprisingly, given that pilgrims gather from all over the world, it says several nationalities are among the dead. | The death toll continues to rise. It now stands at 310, according to Saudi civil defence. Unsurprisingly, given that pilgrims gather from all over the world, it says several nationalities are among the dead. |
| 10.25am BST10:25 | 10.25am BST10:25 |
| More unverified video footage purporting to be from Mina shows rows of covered up bodies lying on the ground. | More unverified video footage purporting to be from Mina shows rows of covered up bodies lying on the ground. |
| Updated at 10.40am BST | Updated at 10.40am BST |
| 10.22am BST10:22 | 10.22am BST10:22 |
| AP has posted a list of accidents and tragedies which have marred previous hajj pilgrimages. It does not include the collapse of a crane in Mecca earlier this month, which killed more than 100, because that occurred days before the hajj began. The list shows that major loss of life during the pilgrimage had not occurred for some time. | AP has posted a list of accidents and tragedies which have marred previous hajj pilgrimages. It does not include the collapse of a crane in Mecca earlier this month, which killed more than 100, because that occurred days before the hajj began. The list shows that major loss of life during the pilgrimage had not occurred for some time. |
| 2015: At least 150 people are killed and 400 injured in a stampede in Mina, on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca. In the lead-up to hajj, at least 107 people are killed and scores wounded when a crane collapses in bad weather, crashing onto the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islam’s holiest site.___2006: More than 360 pilgrims are killed in a stampede at the desert plain of Mina, near Mecca, where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. The day before the hajj began, an eight-story building being used as a hostel near the Grand Mosque in Mecca collapsed, killing at least 73 people.___2004: A crush of pilgrims at Mina kills 244 pilgrims and injures hundreds on the final day of the hajj ceremonies.___2001: A stampede at Mina during the final day of the pilgrimage ceremonies kills 35 hajj pilgrims.___1998: About 180 pilgrims are trampled to death in panic after several of them fell off an overpass during the final stoning ritual at Mina.___1997: At least 340 pilgrims are killed in a fire at the tent city of Mina as the blaze was aided by high winds. More than 1,500 were injured.___1994: Some 270 pilgrims are killed in a stampede during the stoning ritual at Mina.___1990: The worst hajj-related tragedy claims the lives of 1,426 pilgrims in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in Mecca. | 2015: At least 150 people are killed and 400 injured in a stampede in Mina, on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca. In the lead-up to hajj, at least 107 people are killed and scores wounded when a crane collapses in bad weather, crashing onto the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islam’s holiest site.___2006: More than 360 pilgrims are killed in a stampede at the desert plain of Mina, near Mecca, where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. The day before the hajj began, an eight-story building being used as a hostel near the Grand Mosque in Mecca collapsed, killing at least 73 people.___2004: A crush of pilgrims at Mina kills 244 pilgrims and injures hundreds on the final day of the hajj ceremonies.___2001: A stampede at Mina during the final day of the pilgrimage ceremonies kills 35 hajj pilgrims.___1998: About 180 pilgrims are trampled to death in panic after several of them fell off an overpass during the final stoning ritual at Mina.___1997: At least 340 pilgrims are killed in a fire at the tent city of Mina as the blaze was aided by high winds. More than 1,500 were injured.___1994: Some 270 pilgrims are killed in a stampede during the stoning ritual at Mina.___1990: The worst hajj-related tragedy claims the lives of 1,426 pilgrims in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in Mecca. |
| 10.12am BST10:12 | 10.12am BST10:12 |
| Pilgrims had converged on Mina just outside Mecca on Thursday to throw pebbles at one of three walls representing Satan, the symbolic “stoning of the devil” that is part of the hajj. | Pilgrims had converged on Mina just outside Mecca on Thursday to throw pebbles at one of three walls representing Satan, the symbolic “stoning of the devil” that is part of the hajj. |
| In January 2006, 364 pilgrims were killed in a stampede during the ritual. | In January 2006, 364 pilgrims were killed in a stampede during the ritual. |
| The hajj is among the five pillars of Islam and every capable Muslim must perform it at least once in a lifetime. | The hajj is among the five pillars of Islam and every capable Muslim must perform it at least once in a lifetime. |
| 10.08am BST10:08 | 10.08am BST10:08 |
| Unverified video footage of the aftermath of the crush has emerged. Clothes can be seen strewn on the ground. WARNING: Contains upsetting images. | Unverified video footage of the aftermath of the crush has emerged. Clothes can be seen strewn on the ground. WARNING: Contains upsetting images. |
| #منى pic.twitter.com/Q2jW3mSFYw | #منى pic.twitter.com/Q2jW3mSFYw |
| Updated at 10.12am BST | Updated at 10.12am BST |
| 10.02am BST10:02 | 10.02am BST10:02 |
| Death toll rises to 220 | Death toll rises to 220 |
| Saudi civil defence says the death toll has risen to 220, with at least 450 injured. | Saudi civil defence says the death toll has risen to 220, with at least 450 injured. |
| These are pictures it posted earlier: | These are pictures it posted earlier: |
| لا تزال عمليات الفرز مستمرة، وارتفع عدد الإصابات إلى 400 إصابة و 150 حالة وفاة. pic.twitter.com/HjZ2QuiYst | لا تزال عمليات الفرز مستمرة، وارتفع عدد الإصابات إلى 400 إصابة و 150 حالة وفاة. pic.twitter.com/HjZ2QuiYst |
| 9.49am BST09:49 | 9.49am BST09:49 |
| Opening summary | Opening summary |
| A crush during the annual hajj pilgrimage has killed 150 people, Saudi civil defence authorities have said. | A crush during the annual hajj pilgrimage has killed 150 people, Saudi civil defence authorities have said. |
| Another 400 were injured in the disaster, which occurred in Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, on the first day of the Eid al-Adha festival, which marks the end of hajj. | Another 400 were injured in the disaster, which occurred in Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, on the first day of the Eid al-Adha festival, which marks the end of hajj. |
| About two million people are performing the pilgrimage, Saudi state-run TV has said. | About two million people are performing the pilgrimage, Saudi state-run TV has said. |
| The tragedy is the second to hit the kingdom in a fortnight, after the collapse of a construction crane at Mecca’s Grand Mosque killed more than 100 people days before the hajj pilgrimage began. | The tragedy is the second to hit the kingdom in a fortnight, after the collapse of a construction crane at Mecca’s Grand Mosque killed more than 100 people days before the hajj pilgrimage began. |
| Updated at 10.13am BST | Updated at 10.13am BST |