A large construction crane at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia collapsed on Friday, leaving at least 65 people dead. At least 154 people were injured.
USA Today reports that the accident happened just over a week before the annual Muslim pilgrimage. Strong winds were likely to blame for the crash and the Saudi Arabia Civil Defense had warned worshipers of the dangerous weather.
There have been posts on Twitter showing bloody bodies on the floor with debris surrounding them. Reuters notes that it looks like the crane crashed through a ceiling.
The Saudi government has tried its best to keep worshipers safe during the annual hajj pilgrimage to Islam’s sacred city, where 3 million people are expected to pray at the Grand Mosque, also known as Masjid al-Haram. It is the largest mosque in the world and it surrounds the Kaaba, the holiest place in Islam.
In 2006, at least 356 people were killed in a stampede during the pilgrimage, The Guardian reported at the time. In an effort to prevent anything like that happening again, the Saudi government did impose a limit to the number of people who can perform hajj at once due to the ongoing construction at the mosque.
Below is footage of today’s accident.
screenshot from YouTube video