Mecca crane collapse

Mecca Crane Crash
The horrific crash at the Grand Mosque was captured in
a mobile phone camera by a bystander.

Mecca crane collapse: 

Saudi inquiry into Grand Mosque disaster

Saudi Arabia has begun an investigation into why a crane collapsed in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, killing at least 107 people.

www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east

The huge red crane crashed into a part of the Grand Mosque as it was filled with worshippers, less than two weeks before the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

Officials say strong winds and heavy rains caused the crane to fall.

Correspondents say there have previously been concerns about safety on Saudi construction sites.

The Grand Mosque, known as the Masjid al-Haram, is the largest mosque in the world and surrounds Islam's holiest place, the Kaaba.

At least 230 people were injured in the incident. It is unclear how many people were hurt by the collapse or the stampede that followed it.

Those killed are reported to include Indonesian, Indian, Iranian and Egyptian citizens.

The incident happened at 17:23 local time (14:23 GMT) on Friday.

Videos posted online showed the moment the structure collapsed, with a loud crash followed by panic and shouting. Bodies and blood could be seen on the floor of the mosque.

The head of Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency, Lt Sulayman Bin-Abdullah al-Amr, said an investigation was being carried out to assess the damage, and the "extent of the safety of these sites".

Essam al-Ghalib, a Jeddah-based journalist, said the crane fell through the outer ring of the Grand Mosque and punctured through the roof sending down tonnes of cement and debris onto people either praying or walking through.

Up to two million people are expected to arrive in Mecca for the Hajj from all over the world later this month.

Saudi officials say the crane disaster will not prevent the Hajj going ahead.

Irfan Al-Alawi, from the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, told the BBC that the Grand Mosque is currently surrounded by 15 large cranes amid major redevelopment work.

"The entire area is like a salvage yard," Mr Al-Alawi said.

"Saudi Arabia has to re-think its health and safety strategy," he said, "as there were 800,000 people in the mosque area at the time of the accident."

The original parts of the Grand Mosque date back 1,400 years. Consisting of a large square surrounded by covered prayer areas, the building has since been extensively modernised, notably from the mid-20th Century.

Saudi authorities began a major expansion of the site last year to increase the area of the mosque by 400,000 square metres (4.3 million square feet), to allow it to accommodate up to 2.2 million people at once.

In this still image taken from video released 
by Saudi TV, a crane is seen collapsed over 
the Grand Mosque in Mecca, killing dozens 
on Friday. (AP photo)

Others:

AlJazeera: Crane collapse kills at least 107 in Mecca Grand Mosque: Saudi Civil Defence authority says that at least 107 killed and 238 injured as a crane falls in Grand Mosque...
Horror at Mecca's Grand Mosque caught on camera: Mecca:  At least 107 people were killed and 238 injured after a massive construction crane crashed at Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in stormy weather on Friday, just days before the annual hajj pilgrimage.
President, VP and PM Modi condole loss of lives in crane collapse at Mecca's Grand Mosque: New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday condoled the loss of lives in the crane collapse at the Grand Mosque in Mecca in which some Indians were also injured.

Heartfelt condolences to families of deceased due to crane crash in Mecca, prayers for speedy recovery of the injured #PresidentMukherjee — President of India (@RashtrapatiBhvn) September 11, 2015

Misteri Tanda Tuhan di Mekkah

Crane Jatuh di Mekkah di tanggal kembar 11-9-2015
Petir & Hujan Deras di sertai es menyambar di tanggal kembar 11-9-2015. Mengapa Crane jatuh di tanggal kembar 11 ?