Kerala woman amongst those killed in Hajj crash
A hajj pilgrim from Kerala was among those killed in crane crash a the Grand Mosque in Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The crane had collapsed as a result of heavy rain and strong winds throughout the night. The victim was identified as one Maimun, 33, wife of Ismail (who had sustained injuries). The couple hailed from Kalmandapam in Palakkad district.
Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is the pilgrimage that every Muslin is expected to make at least once during their lifetime. Islam gurantees paradise to those who perform Hajj.
Hajj's worst tragedy took place in 1990 where 1,426 pilgrims died in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel. On 12 January 2006, over 360 pilgrims had died in a rush at the desert plain of Mina, near Mecca. Between 1990 and 2006 there were as many as five different accidents which claimed the pilgrims' lives.
107 people were killed when a towering construction crane toppled over in the Saudi city of Mecca. A violent rainstorm is being adjudged the reason behind the accident. Images of the grisly scene with bodies strewn across the polished mosque floors in blood, surfaced on social media shocking the world. According to Saudi Arabia's civil defense authority, those injured in the disaster numbered 238.
Authorities in Saudi Arabia said that they had begun an investigation "into why a crane collapsed". Lt Sulayman Bin-Abdullah al-Amr, the head of Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency said that the government was trying to assess the damage, and the "extent of the safety of these sites". This investigation will be important as 50 such cranes are still present at the mosque.
The Indian external affairs ministry said that 2 Indians (their names were not known yet) have been killed while 15 others were injured in the crane collapse The ministry's spokesperson Vikas Swarup said that the officials of the Indian Consulate in Jeddah had set up a 24X7 helpline to provide report and support. He further said the situation was being monitored minutely.
"My thoughts and prayers are with families of those who lost their lives in crane crash in Mecca. I wish quick recovery for injured," Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet.
