Friday, June 26, 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

    Ship That Spilled Bunker Fuel Into Vancouver's English Bay Was On First Voyage

    VANCOUVER — A federal marine safety official says the MV Marathassa was on its maiden voyage when it leaked bunker fuel into Vancouver's pristine English Bay.

    Ship That Spilled Bunker Fuel Into Vancouver's English Bay Was On First Voyage

    Haz-Mat Team Responds To University Of B.C.; Patient Taken To Hospital

    Haz-Mat Team Responds To University Of B.C.; Patient Taken To Hospital
    VANCOUVER — Firefighters say Vancouver's full hazardous-materials team has responded to the University of British Columbia and one patient has been taken to hospital after an experiment likely went awry.

    Haz-Mat Team Responds To University Of B.C.; Patient Taken To Hospital

    B.C. Judge Asks Lawyers To Prove Fraudster Doesn't Deserve Prison Time

    B.C. Judge Asks Lawyers To Prove Fraudster Doesn't Deserve Prison Time
    KAMLOOPS, B.C. — A B.C. Supreme Court justice has asked Crown and defence lawyers to prove that an admitted fraudster who bilked a senior out of more than $20,000 shouldn't be sent to prison.

    B.C. Judge Asks Lawyers To Prove Fraudster Doesn't Deserve Prison Time

    Unemployment Rate Stays At 6.8 Per Cent In March, 29,000 Jobs Added: Statistics Canada

    Statistics Canada's latest labour market survey says the country's jobless rate remained at 6.8 per cent in March — unchanged from the previous month — and it registered a month-to-month net gain of nearly 29,000 jobs.

    Unemployment Rate Stays At 6.8 Per Cent In March, 29,000 Jobs Added: Statistics Canada

    Publisher Says Book By Journalist Mohamed Fahmy Due This Fall

    TORONTO — Random House Canada says it has acquired the rights to a book by Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy, who is undergoing a second trial on terror-related charges in Egypt.

    Publisher Says Book By Journalist Mohamed Fahmy Due This Fall

    Tough Times In Oilpatch Mean Busier Civil Enforcement Agencies, Auction Houses

    Tough Times In Oilpatch Mean Busier Civil Enforcement Agencies, Auction Houses
    CALGARY — As Alberta's oilpatch slows down, John Shortridge is bracing for an onslaught of work. Shortridge runs a civil enforcement agency, which works with bailiffs to carry out court orders and seize property, among other things.

    Tough Times In Oilpatch Mean Busier Civil Enforcement Agencies, Auction Houses