Thursday, June 11, 2026
ADVT 
National

Over 65 Killed As Crane Falls On Mecca's Grand Mosque

Darpan News Desk IANS, 11 Sep, 2015 10:38 AM
    Over 65 people were killed after a crane collapsed on to the Grand Mosque in the Saudi Arabia's holy city of Makkah, which is preparing for the Annual Haj.
     
    At least 65 people have been killed and at least 30 injured, reported the BBC, citing the Saudi civil defence authority.
     
     
     
     
    It was raining heavily at the time. Few other details are available. Images from the scene showed part of a huge red crane had crashed through the roof of the mosque.Mecca is preparing for the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage.
     
    Construction work has been going on at the Grand Mosque for years to make it big enough to cope with the huge numbers of people who come each year.
     
     
    The incident occurred as hundreds of thousands of Muslims gather from all over the world for the annual hajj pilgrimage set to begin later this month, and Saudi authorities go to great lengths to be prepared for the millions of Muslims who converge on Makkah.
     
    The Grand Mosque is usually at its most crowded on Fridays, the Muslim weekly day of prayer.
     
     
     
     
    Last year, the kingdom reduced the numbers permitted to perform haj for safety reasons because of construction work to enlarge the Grand Mosque.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Two People Rushed To Hospital After Plane Crashes On Runway At Duncan Airport On Vancouver Island

    Two People Rushed To Hospital After Plane Crashes On Runway At Duncan Airport On Vancouver Island
    RCMP say the single-engine plane crashed into a sloped area near the runway, causing significant damage to the aircraft

    Two People Rushed To Hospital After Plane Crashes On Runway At Duncan Airport On Vancouver Island

    Garbage Truck Driver Cooperating After Crash Kills 62-Year-Old Woman In Vancouver

    Garbage Truck Driver Cooperating After Crash Kills 62-Year-Old Woman In Vancouver
    Const. Brian Montague says a garbage truck turning onto Kingsway Avenue off Broadway collided with a pedestrian crossing the street.

    Garbage Truck Driver Cooperating After Crash Kills 62-Year-Old Woman In Vancouver

    'Canadians Will Choose Security Over Risk' - PM Harper Targets Libs And NDP

    CALGARY — Justin Trudeau is no longer alone in Stephen Harper's crosshairs. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair is now there too.

    'Canadians Will Choose Security Over Risk' - PM Harper Targets Libs And NDP

    Investigators Seek Public's Help In Solving Blast That Injured Winnipeg Lawyer

    WINNIPEG — Police in Winnipeg continue to say they believe a suspected bomb that seriously injured a lawyer is an "isolated incident" and the public isn't at risk.

    Investigators Seek Public's Help In Solving Blast That Injured Winnipeg Lawyer

    Thousands Of Fire Evacuees From Saskatchewan Will Head To Cold Lake, Alberta

    Thousands Of Fire Evacuees From Saskatchewan Will Head To Cold Lake, Alberta
    MONTREAL LAKE, Sask. — Thousands more people in northern Saskatchewan are being told that wildfires are too close for them to stay in their homes.

    Thousands Of Fire Evacuees From Saskatchewan Will Head To Cold Lake, Alberta

    Noted Indian Conservation Biologist Kamal Singh Bawa Elected Fellow Of Royal Society

    Noted Indian Conservation Biologist Kamal Singh Bawa Elected Fellow Of Royal Society
    India-born Bawa, an internationally recognised evolutionary ecologist and a distinguished professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, was elected a fellow of the London-based society in April, according to a university media release.

    Noted Indian Conservation Biologist Kamal Singh Bawa Elected Fellow Of Royal Society