Stampede at Haj in Saudi Arabia kills at least 717 people

At least 863 others were injured in the crush, which took place at the intersection of streets 204 and 223 in Mina, a large valley about 5 kilometres from Mecca that has been the site of Haj stampedes in years past.

Members of Saudi civil defence try to rescue pilgrims following a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina. Reuters / Directorate of the Saudi Civil Defence/Handout via Reuters

MINA, Saudi Arabia // A horrific stampede killed at least 717 pilgrims and injured hundreds more on Thursday on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca, the deadliest tragedy to strike the annual Haj pilgrimage in more than two decades.
At least 863 pilgrims were injured in the crush, said the Saudi civil defence directorate, which provided the death toll. The tragedy struck as Muslims around the world marked the start of Eid Al Adha.
It was the second major disaster during this year's Haj season, raising questions about the adequacy of measures to ensure the safety of the roughly 2 million Muslims taking part in the pilgrimage. A crane collapse in Mecca nearly two weeks earlier left 111 people dead.
Many of the victims yesterday were crushed and trampled to death as they were on their way to perform a symbolic stoning of the Devil by throwing pebbles against three stone columns in Mina, a large valley about 5 kilometres from Mecca that has been the site of Haj stampedes in years past. The area houses more than 160,000 tents where pilgrims spend the night during the pilgrimage.
Two survivors said the disaster began when one wave of pilgrims found themselves heading into a mass of people going in another direction.
"I saw someone trip over someone in a wheelchair and several people tripping over him. People were climbing over one another just to breathe," said one of the survivors, Abdullah Lotfy, 44, from Egypt. "It was like a wave. You go forward and suddenly you go back."
Mr Lotfy said that having two flows of pilgrims interacting in this way should never have happened. "There was no preparation. What happened was more than they were ready for," he said of the authorities.
The Haj poses an immense logistical and security challenge for Saudi Arabia given the sheer number of hundreds of thousands of people - from differing linguistic and cultural backgrounds, many of whom have saved for years for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - intent on following the same set of rituals at about the same time.
The kingdom's interior ministry said that the crush appears to have been caused by two waves of pilgrims meeting at an intersection. King Salman ordered the creation of committee to investigate the incident, it added.
The ministry's spokesman, Maj. Gen. Mansour Al Turki, said high temperatures and the fatigue of the pilgrims may also have been factors in the disaster. He said there was no indication that authorities were to blame for the event, adding that "unfortunately, these incidents happen in a moment."
Another survivor, Ismail Hamba, 58, from Nigeria, recalled falling down and then being trampled over by marching pilgrims.
"It was terrible, it was really, really terrible," he said.
Thursday's tragedy struck during a morning surge of pilgrims at the intersection of streets 204 and 223 as the faithful were making their way towards a large structure overlooking the columns, according to the Saudi civil defence directorate.
The multi-storey structure, known as Jamarat Bridge, is designed to ease the pressure of the crowds and prevent pilgrims from being trampled.
Ambulance sirens blared and helicopters hovered overhead as rescue crews rushed the injured to nearby hospitals.
More than 220 rescue vehicles and some 4,000 members of the emergency services were deployed soon after the stampede to try to ease the congestion and provide alternative exit routes, according to the directorate.
Amateur video shared on social media showed a horrific scene, with scores of bodies - the men dressed in the simple terry cloth garments worn during Haj - lying amid crushed wheelchairs and water bottles along a sun-baked street.
Survivors assessed the scene from the top of roadside stalls near white tents as rescue workers in orange and yellow vests combed the area.
Photos released by the directorate on its official Twitter account showed rescue workers helping the wounded onto stretchers and loading them onto ambulances near some of the tents.
Saudi authorities take extensive precautions to ensure the security and the safety of pilgrims during the Haj. The pilgrimage began in earnest Tuesday. There are about 100,000 security forces deployed this year to oversee crowd management and ensure pilgrims' safety during the five-day pilgrimage.
At Mina specifically, authorities have put measures in place over the years to try to alleviate the pressure posed by masses of pilgrims converging on the site of the stoning ritual.
Officials use surveillance cameras and other equipment to limit the number of people converging on the site, and the Jamarat Bridge has multiple exits to facilitate the flow of people.
The latest tragedy is certain to have touched many different countries as the victims likely included pilgrims of different nationalities.
Sudanese pilgrim Mahmoun Mahmoud, 55, witnessed what he said appeared to be pilgrims from many different countries.
* Associated Press