Tragedy hits holy pilgrimage
Hundreds trampled to death in hajj stampede despite Saudi efforts at improving logistics
Two giant waves of Muslim pilgrims collided at an intersection Thursday near a holy site in Saudi Arabia, and more than 700 people were crushed and trampled to death in the worst disaster at the hajj in a quarter- century.
“People were climbing over one another just to breathe,” said Abdullah Lotfy of Egypt. “It was like a wave. You go forward and suddenly you go back.”
The hajj, which drew 2 million people from more than 180 countries this year, is a logistical challenge for Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has spent billions of dollars to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims and maintain safety and security at Islam’s holy cities of Mecca and Medina for the annual event.
Initial reports showed two crowds coming from opposing directions converging at an intersection in Mina, on the outskirts of Mecca, when the pushing and shoving started, Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said.
But four survivors questioned how officials managing the flow of people could allow two big crowds going in different directions to intersect on two streets packed with pilgrims.
“What happened was more than they were ready for,” Lotfy, 44, said.
As of late Thursday, the Saudi civil defence directorate said the death toll was 719, but that probably would rise as bodies continued to be counted and sent to the morgue. At least 863 people were injured.
Bodies still were lying on the ground more than 10 hours after the crush and ensuing stampede in Mina, a large valley containing 160,000 tents for accommodations about five kilometres from Mecca.
One crowd had just finished a ritual in which pilgrims throw pebbles at three stone columns representing the devil when it ran into another wave of people heading to perform the rite.
Sudanese pilgrim Mohammed Awad, 36, and his 56- year- old father were separated when people began pushing. Awad said he tried to get out of the crush of bodies for about 30 minutes and eventually climbed over a gate with others. It took him an hour before he could look for his father, who was under at least 10 bodies — but still alive.
“You can’t count how many bodies there were. They were stacked high,” Awad said.
Amateur video on social media showed scores of bodies — many still dressed in the simple cloth garments worn during hajj — lying amid crushed wheelchairs and water bottles on a sun- baked street.
Helicopters flew above Mina, ferrying the injured to hospitals, while military police blocked the streets where the deaths took place.
Saudi Arabia takes pride in its role as the caretaker of Islam’s holiest sites and host to millions of Muslims who must perform the hajj at least once in their lives. Signs posted around Mecca tell pilgrims that Saudi Arabia is honoured to serve them, and the Saudi king takes the title of “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques” in reference to the sites in Mecca and Medina.
About 100,000 security officers were deployed to manage the crowds and provide security for this year’s hajj, with 5,000 CCTV cameras throughout Mecca and Medina.
Over the years, the Saudi government has expanded Mecca’s Grand Mosque, which houses Islam’s most sacred site, the Kaaba. The government also uses sophisticated face-counting technology installed at a structure in Mina known as the Jamarat Bridge, near where the tragedy occurred. The wide ramps and technology are designed to ease the pressure of the crowds and prevent pilgrims from being trampled.
Unlike the wide ramps leading to Jamarat, the streets amid the tents in Mina are narrow. The street where the accident took place is 12 metres wide, with tall gates to the left and right. Behind the gates are the tents of hajj tour groups, organized by nationality.
King Salman expressed his condolences and pledged a speedy investigation.
Saudi Arabia’s regional rival Iran immediately blamed the kingdom for mismanagement in the disaster.
At least 131 Iranians died, and Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, said Saudi Arabia “is obliged to admit its responsibility.”
It was the second major accident during this year’s hajj season. On Sept. 11, a construction crane crashed down on to the Grand Mosque, killing 111 people and injuring more than 390.
“The reputation of the kingdom is on the line,” said Fawaz Gerges, a Middle East expert at the London School of Economics.
“The fact is, despite everything Saudi Arabia has done, accidents and tragedies continue to happen.”
The tragedy came as Muslims around the world marked the start of the Eid al- Adha holiday, a traditionally festive time in which livestock is slaughtered and its meat distributed to the poor.
The mood in Mina was sombre, however, and many were stunned by the tragedy instead of jubilant at completing the pilgrimage.
A visibly shaken Ismail Hamba, 58, who came from Nigeria, said he was on his way to cast stones when he suddenly became dizzy and fell down.
“By the special grace of God … a young man rescued me,” he said at a clinic at the site of the accident, adding he doesn’t know how he survived.
“It was terrible,” said Hamba, who was making his second haij.
“It was really, really terrible.”