Tuesday, June 16, 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

    Bus Carrying Toronto Students On School Trip Involved In Crash In NYC Tunnel

    Bus Carrying Toronto Students On School Trip Involved In Crash In NYC Tunnel
    Kevin Battaglia, the principal at Bedford Park Public School, tweeted this morning that their bus was rear-ended by a New Jersey commuter bus in the Lincoln Tunnel.

    Bus Carrying Toronto Students On School Trip Involved In Crash In NYC Tunnel

    CBC Fires Power And Politics Host Evan Solomon

    CBC Fires Power And Politics Host Evan Solomon
    The CBC has abruptly "ended its relationship" with high-profile news host Evan Solomon, saying it determined he had acted in ways that were "inconsistent" with its code of ethics.

    CBC Fires Power And Politics Host Evan Solomon

    RCMP Say Shed Fire That Injured Four Children On Manitoba Reserve Not Suspicious

    RCMP Say Shed Fire That Injured Four Children On Manitoba Reserve Not Suspicious
    NELSON HOUSE, Man. — Manitoba RCMP say a shed fire on a remote northern reserve in which four children were injured is not suspicious.

    RCMP Say Shed Fire That Injured Four Children On Manitoba Reserve Not Suspicious

    Failure Of 'Storm' Smartphone Dealt Major Blow To Blackberry: Jim Balsillie

    Failure Of 'Storm' Smartphone Dealt Major Blow To Blackberry: Jim Balsillie
     Former co-chief executive Jim Balsillie says BlackBerry's reputation was dealt a major blow by the BlackBerry Storm, a rushed attempt by the Waterloo, Ont., company to fend off Apple's iPhone with its own version of a touchscreen device.

    Failure Of 'Storm' Smartphone Dealt Major Blow To Blackberry: Jim Balsillie

    Harper Faces Tough Talk On Climate Change And Security Threats At G7

    Harper Faces Tough Talk On Climate Change And Security Threats At G7
    The G7 leaders started their annual meeting Sunday during which Prime Minister Stephen Harper was expected to face discussions on a topic he has been repeatedly criticized for not doing enough about — climate change.

    Harper Faces Tough Talk On Climate Change And Security Threats At G7

    Scientists Make No Bones About Yukon Fossil Find, Redraw Camel's Family Tree

    Scientists Make No Bones About Yukon Fossil Find, Redraw Camel's Family Tree
    WHITEHORSE — Miners working the Klondike have uncovered an evolutionary treasure that one paleontologist says is as precious as gold.

    Scientists Make No Bones About Yukon Fossil Find, Redraw Camel's Family Tree