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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/sep/24/hajj-crush-kills-scores-near-mecca-live-coverage
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| Mecca: hajj crush kills hundreds near holy city – as it happened | Mecca: hajj crush kills hundreds near holy city – as it happened |
| (30 days later) | |
| 5.17pm BST | 5.17pm BST |
| 17:17 | 17:17 |
| 5.15pm BST | 5.15pm BST |
| 17:15 | 17:15 |
| Here are a couple of eyewitness accounts submitted through GuardianWitness: | Here are a couple of eyewitness accounts submitted through GuardianWitness: |
| Bashaar Jamil from London | Bashaar Jamil from London |
| “I was there in the morning after the prayers. There were thousands of people going in via the entry tunnel and people coming out from the exit tunnel. Until we reached the stone throwing area, it was congested but after that it was fine. | “I was there in the morning after the prayers. There were thousands of people going in via the entry tunnel and people coming out from the exit tunnel. Until we reached the stone throwing area, it was congested but after that it was fine. |
| The exit then got cramped as people were trying to leave as quickly as possible. I was with my mum and luckily we got out literally 20 to 30 mins before the stampede started. Apparently, the exit tunnel was closed by the authorities and people were using one tunnel to go in and come out. | The exit then got cramped as people were trying to leave as quickly as possible. I was with my mum and luckily we got out literally 20 to 30 mins before the stampede started. Apparently, the exit tunnel was closed by the authorities and people were using one tunnel to go in and come out. |
| Makes no sense as you have huge crowd going in and going out with no traffic control system. Saudi authorities may have spent on expansion but certainly not on safety. There is no disabled toilet, access for elderly, emergency escape for the poorly; these all are basic requirements which I believe the government has failed to achieve.” | Makes no sense as you have huge crowd going in and going out with no traffic control system. Saudi authorities may have spent on expansion but certainly not on safety. There is no disabled toilet, access for elderly, emergency escape for the poorly; these all are basic requirements which I believe the government has failed to achieve.” |
| Sharek Kader from Bangladesh, said this is his first time at the hajj and he was there with five other people: | Sharek Kader from Bangladesh, said this is his first time at the hajj and he was there with five other people: |
| “I was there after sunrise but decided to throw the stones from the 3rd level instead of the first as most of the people were rushing towards level one. It’s tragic, but the authorities cannot do much as people tend to move with the flow. Its very easy to blame the Saudis, however, better pre hajj training should be made mandatory before giving visas to someone of the countries. | “I was there after sunrise but decided to throw the stones from the 3rd level instead of the first as most of the people were rushing towards level one. It’s tragic, but the authorities cannot do much as people tend to move with the flow. Its very easy to blame the Saudis, however, better pre hajj training should be made mandatory before giving visas to someone of the countries. |
| He adds that “despite the tragedy the Kaaba is totally packed with hajis”. | He adds that “despite the tragedy the Kaaba is totally packed with hajis”. |
| 5.03pm BST | 5.03pm BST |
| 17:03 | 17:03 |
| Al-Aribya is reporting some highly inflammatory comments allegedly made by a member of the central hajj committee: | Al-Aribya is reporting some highly inflammatory comments allegedly made by a member of the central hajj committee: |
| From al-Jazeera: | From al-Jazeera: |
| The head of Central Hajj Committee Prince Khaled al-Faisal blamed the stampede on “some pilgrims from African nationalities”, according to Saudi-owned al-Arabiya Channel | The head of Central Hajj Committee Prince Khaled al-Faisal blamed the stampede on “some pilgrims from African nationalities”, according to Saudi-owned al-Arabiya Channel |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.04pm BST | at 5.04pm BST |
| 4.45pm BST | 4.45pm BST |
| 16:45 | 16:45 |
| AP has some more details the Saudi interior ministry suggesting pilgrims are to blame rather than the authorities: | AP has some more details the Saudi interior ministry suggesting pilgrims are to blame rather than the authorities: |
| Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said high temperatures and the fatigue of the pilgrims might also have been factors in Thursday’s disaster, the deadliest event to afflict the hajj pilgrimage in more than two decades. | Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said high temperatures and the fatigue of the pilgrims might also have been factors in Thursday’s disaster, the deadliest event to afflict the hajj pilgrimage in more than two decades. |
| He says there is no indication that authorities are to blame for the event, saying “unfortunately, these incidents happen in a moment.” | He says there is no indication that authorities are to blame for the event, saying “unfortunately, these incidents happen in a moment.” |
| Al-Turki says King Salman has ordered the creation of committee to investigate the incident. | Al-Turki says King Salman has ordered the creation of committee to investigate the incident. |
| 4.37pm BST | 4.37pm BST |
| 16:37 | 16:37 |
| The Saudi interior ministry says the death toll may rise further, al-Arabiya is reporting. | The Saudi interior ministry says the death toll may rise further, al-Arabiya is reporting. |
| 4.35pm BST | 4.35pm BST |
| 16:35 | 16:35 |
| The number of Iranian victims has risen to 89, more than 10% of the total. | The number of Iranian victims has risen to 89, more than 10% of the total. |
| Now 89 Iranians among the over 700 dead in #MinaStampede. #hajj #SaudiArabia | Now 89 Iranians among the over 700 dead in #MinaStampede. #hajj #SaudiArabia |
| 4.25pm BST | 4.25pm BST |
| 16:25 | 16:25 |
| Eman al-Nafjan, who blogs under the name Saudiwoman, has been tweeting reasons given by Saudi authorities for past deaths in stampedes during the hajj. | Eman al-Nafjan, who blogs under the name Saudiwoman, has been tweeting reasons given by Saudi authorities for past deaths in stampedes during the hajj. |
| A lot of the reasons given in the past seem to bear a similarity to those given for today’s tragedy health minister Khaled al-Falih who suggested undisciplined pilgrims were to blame. Some of the tweets are below. At the least, they raise questions about whether enough has been done to tackle the causes of such stampedes. | A lot of the reasons given in the past seem to bear a similarity to those given for today’s tragedy health minister Khaled al-Falih who suggested undisciplined pilgrims were to blame. Some of the tweets are below. At the least, they raise questions about whether enough has been done to tackle the causes of such stampedes. |
| #Hajj 2015 stampede death toll: so far 717. Reason given: http://t.co/nrH8j1lcWT pic.twitter.com/DXwAwBkLyH | #Hajj 2015 stampede death toll: so far 717. Reason given: http://t.co/nrH8j1lcWT pic.twitter.com/DXwAwBkLyH |
| #Hajj 2006 stampede death toll: 345. Reason given: http://t.co/qiHlSTj8r2 pic.twitter.com/JQteIrJJlS | #Hajj 2006 stampede death toll: 345. Reason given: http://t.co/qiHlSTj8r2 pic.twitter.com/JQteIrJJlS |
| #Hajj 2004 stampede death toll: 244. Reason given: http://t.co/N8OX68qGdt pic.twitter.com/KjwSztV5Cr | #Hajj 2004 stampede death toll: 244. Reason given: http://t.co/N8OX68qGdt pic.twitter.com/KjwSztV5Cr |
| #Hajj 2003 stampede death toll: 14. Reason given: http://t.co/XhYuo6ZvGv pic.twitter.com/lKy359aSAo | #Hajj 2003 stampede death toll: 14. Reason given: http://t.co/XhYuo6ZvGv pic.twitter.com/lKy359aSAo |
| #Hajj 2001 stampede death toll: 35. Reason given: http://t.co/KYuadiAF2b pic.twitter.com/bWS8moYwZt | #Hajj 2001 stampede death toll: 35. Reason given: http://t.co/KYuadiAF2b pic.twitter.com/bWS8moYwZt |
| #Hajj 1990 stampede deaths: 1400. Reason given: http://t.co/lPY2i6bbJS pic.twitter.com/8tLlZo8ql9 | #Hajj 1990 stampede deaths: 1400. Reason given: http://t.co/lPY2i6bbJS pic.twitter.com/8tLlZo8ql9 |
| Patterns in #Hajj fire & stampede deaths & official reasons since 1990(check PTs): 1-pilgrims are blamed 2-lull during King Abdullah's reign | Patterns in #Hajj fire & stampede deaths & official reasons since 1990(check PTs): 1-pilgrims are blamed 2-lull during King Abdullah's reign |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.32pm BST | at 4.32pm BST |
| 4.16pm BST | 4.16pm BST |
| 16:16 | 16:16 |
| Ap has spoken to two survivors of the crash: | Ap has spoken to two survivors of the crash: |
| “I saw someone trip over someone in a wheelchair and several people tripping over him. People were climbing over one another just to breathe,” said one of the survivors, Abdullah Lotfy, 44, from Egypt. “It was like a wave. You go forward and suddenly you go back.” | “I saw someone trip over someone in a wheelchair and several people tripping over him. People were climbing over one another just to breathe,” said one of the survivors, Abdullah Lotfy, 44, from Egypt. “It was like a wave. You go forward and suddenly you go back.” |
| Lotfy said that having two flows of pilgrims interacting in this way should never have happened. “There was no preparation. What happened was more than they were ready for,” he said of the Saudi authorities ... | Lotfy said that having two flows of pilgrims interacting in this way should never have happened. “There was no preparation. What happened was more than they were ready for,” he said of the Saudi authorities ... |
| Another survivor, Ismail Hamba, 58, from Nigeria, recalled falling down and then being trampled over by marching pilgrims. | Another survivor, Ismail Hamba, 58, from Nigeria, recalled falling down and then being trampled over by marching pilgrims. |
| “It was terrible, it was really, really terrible,” he said. | “It was terrible, it was really, really terrible,” he said. |
| Another pilgrim criticised the organisation of this year’s hajj to AFP: | Another pilgrim criticised the organisation of this year’s hajj to AFP: |
| A Sudanese pilgrim in Mina said this year’s hajj was the most poorly organised of four he had attended. | A Sudanese pilgrim in Mina said this year’s hajj was the most poorly organised of four he had attended. |
| “People were already dehydrated and fainting” before the stampede, said the pilgrim who declined to be named. | “People were already dehydrated and fainting” before the stampede, said the pilgrim who declined to be named. |
| People “were tripping all over each other”, he said, adding that a Saudi companion had warned him that “something was going to happen”. | People “were tripping all over each other”, he said, adding that a Saudi companion had warned him that “something was going to happen”. |
| 4.06pm BST | 4.06pm BST |
| 16:06 | 16:06 |
| Saudi site al-Arabiya has details of a press conference given today by a Saudi interior ministry spokesman, in which he said that the crush was caused by convergence of pilgrims coming from two different streets: | Saudi site al-Arabiya has details of a press conference given today by a Saudi interior ministry spokesman, in which he said that the crush was caused by convergence of pilgrims coming from two different streets: |
| Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki told reporters that the incident took place when two pathways converged at the the same time. The majority of Thursday’s victims, according to al-Turki, descended onto a pathway toward Jamarat during a time that was not allocated to them. | Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki told reporters that the incident took place when two pathways converged at the the same time. The majority of Thursday’s victims, according to al-Turki, descended onto a pathway toward Jamarat during a time that was not allocated to them. |
| When asked why authorities could not expand the areas of the camp city of Mina and Mashar to accommodate the huge numbers of pilgrims, al-Turki said: “As per the boundaries of of Mashar and Mina areas, we cannot possibly expand the locations as both Mashar and Mina have set boundaries that are dictated by Islamic principles for Hajj proceedings.” | When asked why authorities could not expand the areas of the camp city of Mina and Mashar to accommodate the huge numbers of pilgrims, al-Turki said: “As per the boundaries of of Mashar and Mina areas, we cannot possibly expand the locations as both Mashar and Mina have set boundaries that are dictated by Islamic principles for Hajj proceedings.” |
| Al-Aarabiya also reports that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef has ordered an inquiry “into finding why procedures and protocols were not followed at the time of the stampede”. | Al-Aarabiya also reports that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef has ordered an inquiry “into finding why procedures and protocols were not followed at the time of the stampede”. |
| 3.55pm BST | 3.55pm BST |
| 15:55 | 15:55 |
| Britain’s chief rabbi has said his prayers are with those affected: | Britain’s chief rabbi has said his prayers are with those affected: |
| My thoughts and prayers are with the many who have tragically died and been injured today near #Mecca taking part in the Hajj | My thoughts and prayers are with the many who have tragically died and been injured today near #Mecca taking part in the Hajj |
| 3.33pm BST | 3.33pm BST |
| 15:33 | 15:33 |
| The Church of England has offered up prayers for those who have been caught up in the hajj tragedy, PA reports. It is for those who have died, are working to save life and for those who are worried for people they love. | The Church of England has offered up prayers for those who have been caught up in the hajj tragedy, PA reports. It is for those who have died, are working to save life and for those who are worried for people they love. |
| 3.24pm BST | 3.24pm BST |
| 15:24 | 15:24 |
| Al Jazeera journalist Basma Atassi reports that the streets between camps in Mina remain very crowded. | Al Jazeera journalist Basma Atassi reports that the streets between camps in Mina remain very crowded. |
| Check out how crowded are the streets between camps in Mina #Hajj2015. Follow me in real-time http://t.co/GgLg8siUOO pic.twitter.com/qZ1NVbRKpj | Check out how crowded are the streets between camps in Mina #Hajj2015. Follow me in real-time http://t.co/GgLg8siUOO pic.twitter.com/qZ1NVbRKpj |