Tuesday, June 23, 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

    Surrey Shooting Victim Arun Bains Was 'Fine Young Man,' 'Loved By Everybody,' Says Family

    Surrey Shooting Victim Arun Bains Was 'Fine Young Man,' 'Loved By Everybody,' Says Family
    Arun Bains died in hospital on Sunday after police responded to reports of gunfire in Surrey and found a vehicle believed to be linked to the shooting had crashed into a utility pole. 

    Surrey Shooting Victim Arun Bains Was 'Fine Young Man,' 'Loved By Everybody,' Says Family

    Sea-To-Sky Highway Retaining Walls Needs Repairs, But Still Safe: Transportation Minister Todd Stone

    Sea-To-Sky Highway Retaining Walls Needs Repairs, But Still Safe: Transportation Minister Todd Stone
    VICTORIA — Transportation Minister Todd Stone says a retaining wall on the Sea-to-Sky Highway near the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal needs repairs, but doesn't pose safety concerns despite questions by the Opposition about the new highway falling.

    Sea-To-Sky Highway Retaining Walls Needs Repairs, But Still Safe: Transportation Minister Todd Stone

    Muslim Man Files Complaint After Kamloops Jail Told Him To Use A Towel As A Prayer Mat

    Muslim Man Files Complaint After Kamloops Jail Told Him To Use A Towel As A Prayer Mat
    Andrew Monnette, 25, claims officials from Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre would not give him access to a halal diet, a Qur’an or a prayer mat — instead offering him a towel as a stand-in.

    Muslim Man Files Complaint After Kamloops Jail Told Him To Use A Towel As A Prayer Mat

    Gas Leak Caused Explosion That Killed Man, Levelled Toronto Home: Investigator

    Gas Leak Caused Explosion That Killed Man, Levelled Toronto Home: Investigator
    At least 40 more homes in the area were damaged in Monday's blast and paramedics said a person from an adjacent house was treated for minor hand injuries.

    Gas Leak Caused Explosion That Killed Man, Levelled Toronto Home: Investigator

    Fifty Mounties To Scour B.C.'s Comox Valley In Probe Into Julia Strobach's Disappearance

    Fifty Mounties To Scour B.C.'s Comox Valley In Probe Into Julia Strobach's Disappearance
    RCMP say new information in an investigation into the disappearance of Julia Strobach has prompted them to conduct a meticulous search of two green spaces in Courtenay, B.C., Tuesday.

    Fifty Mounties To Scour B.C.'s Comox Valley In Probe Into Julia Strobach's Disappearance

    Medical Marijuana Patients Struggle To Access Pot Under Federal Rules: Study

    VANCOUVER — A University of British Columbia study suggests medical marijuana patients are struggling to access cannabis under current regulations and many are turning to the black market.

    Medical Marijuana Patients Struggle To Access Pot Under Federal Rules: Study