Makkah: At least 150 people were killed on Thursday in a stampede during the Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabian holy city of Mina near Makkah, authorities said.
As many as 400 people were injured in the tragedy, about five kilometres from Makkah, reported Xinhua citing the Saudi Civil Defense. Rescue operations were on, BBC reported. The stampede occurred on the first day of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice. TV visuals showed rescuers taking away the injured, some in wheelchairs.
About two million Muslims are taking part in this year’s Haj pilgrimage, which began on Tuesday. Some 136,020 pilgrims are from India. The stampede took place barely two weeks after a massive crane fell in Makkah’s grand mosque, killing over 100 people and injuring over 200. Eleven of the dead were Indians in the September 11 tragedy.
