Wednesday, July 8, 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

    19 Killed In Tunisia Museum Attack, Including 17 Foreign Tourist

    19 Killed In Tunisia Museum Attack, Including 17 Foreign Tourist
    At least 19 people, including 17 tourists, were killed and over 20 others injured when gunmen attacked a museum in Tunisia's parliament complex here on Wednesday, according to media reports. Two of the terrorists were later killed.

    19 Killed In Tunisia Museum Attack, Including 17 Foreign Tourist

    Indian-origin Man Hardeep Sandhu Convicted Of Brutal Rape And Brick Attack On Woman in Britain

    Indian-origin Man Hardeep Sandhu Convicted Of Brutal Rape And Brick Attack On Woman in Britain
    Hardeep Sandhu, 39, was found guilty by a jury of rape and injuring with the intention of committing grievous bodily harm to the victim, who was a prostitute at the time, the Derby Telegraph reported.

    Indian-origin Man Hardeep Sandhu Convicted Of Brutal Rape And Brick Attack On Woman in Britain

    Feds Watching Housing Market Carefully, But No Plan To Cool It Down: Harper

    Feds Watching Housing Market Carefully, But No Plan To Cool It Down: Harper
    MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the federal government is keeping a careful watch on borrowing and lending tied to the country's hot housing market.

    Feds Watching Housing Market Carefully, But No Plan To Cool It Down: Harper

    Harper To Ask Parliament To Extend, Expand Mission Against Isil

    Harper To Ask Parliament To Extend, Expand Mission Against Isil
    MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he intends to ask Parliament next week to extend  and expand Canada's participation in the war against Islamic extremists in Iraq.

    Harper To Ask Parliament To Extend, Expand Mission Against Isil

    Ex-Judge Convicted Of Killing His Wife Says He Helped Her Commit Suicide

    Ex-Judge Convicted Of Killing His Wife Says He Helped Her Commit Suicide
    Jacques Delisle tells Radio-Canada in an interview he lied to the court about the circumstances surrounding Nicole Rainville's death in 2009.

    Ex-Judge Convicted Of Killing His Wife Says He Helped Her Commit Suicide

    Former Canadian Astronaut Julie Payette Says One-way Mission To Mars Going Nowhere

    Former Canadian Astronaut Julie Payette Says One-way Mission To Mars Going Nowhere
    MONTREAL — Former Canadian astronaut Julie Payette says the controversial one-way mission to send people to live on Mars is going nowhere.

    Former Canadian Astronaut Julie Payette Says One-way Mission To Mars Going Nowhere