Saturday, June 13, 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

    Fingerprints Remain Stable Over Time, Indian-Origin Professor Finds

    Fingerprints Remain Stable Over Time, Indian-Origin Professor Finds
    In what could put an end to controversies surrounding admissibility of fingerprint evidence in courts of law, a study by an Indian-origin researcher has found that fingerprint pattern remains stable over time.

    Fingerprints Remain Stable Over Time, Indian-Origin Professor Finds

    Alberta's Industrial Heartland Welcomes NDP Approach To Oil And Gas Processing

    Alberta's Industrial Heartland Welcomes NDP Approach To Oil And Gas Processing
    CALGARY — Alberta's NDP government has made it clear it would prefer to see less of Alberta's resources ripped and shipped, and more processed into higher value products at home.

    Alberta's Industrial Heartland Welcomes NDP Approach To Oil And Gas Processing

    Canadian Military Medical Staff End Six-month Ebola Mission In Sierra Leone

    Canadian Military Medical Staff End Six-month Ebola Mission In Sierra Leone
    TORONTO — The federal government says a six-month mission that sent Canadian Armed Forces medical personnel to West Africa to help with the Ebola crisis is over.

    Canadian Military Medical Staff End Six-month Ebola Mission In Sierra Leone

    Ontario Hikers Didn't Know What The 'Fuss' Was About After Week Missing In B.C.

    Ontario Hikers Didn't Know What The 'Fuss' Was About After Week Missing In B.C.
    TORONTO — The father of an Ontario man who emerged from a southern British Columbia forest after being lost for seven days says his son isn't sure why he's getting so much attention.

    Ontario Hikers Didn't Know What The 'Fuss' Was About After Week Missing In B.C.

    Transportation Safety Board Recommends Child Restraint System For Commercial Aircraft

    Transportation Safety Board Recommends Child Restraint System For Commercial Aircraft
    It is also recommending that airlines keep better track of underage travellers. The recommendations to Transport Canada come from an investigation into a 2012 deadly plane crash in Nunavut.

    Transportation Safety Board Recommends Child Restraint System For Commercial Aircraft

    New Smartphone App Offers Legal Advice For Random Police Encounters

    New Smartphone App Offers Legal Advice For Random Police Encounters
    TORONTO — A new smartphone app aims to offer byte-sized legal advice as well as other protections to people randomly stopped and questioned by police.

    New Smartphone App Offers Legal Advice For Random Police Encounters