Thursday, July 9, 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

    Mohamed Fahmy voices frustration as retrial postponed to next month

    Mohamed Fahmy voices frustration as retrial postponed to next month
    CAIRO — A Canadian journalist who had been imprisoned for more than a year in Egypt expressed frustration Monday as his retrial on widely-denounced terror-related charges was postponed to next month.

    Mohamed Fahmy voices frustration as retrial postponed to next month

    Woman waiting for flight gives birth at Toronto's Pearson Airport

    Woman waiting for flight gives birth at Toronto's Pearson Airport
    TORONTO — A woman waiting for a flight at Toronto's Pearson Airport ended up getting a trip to the maternity ward instead.

    Woman waiting for flight gives birth at Toronto's Pearson Airport

    Olivia Chow joins Toronto's Ryerson University as a visiting professor

    Olivia Chow joins Toronto's Ryerson University as a visiting professor
    TORONTO — Former MP and Toronto mayoral candidate Olivia Chow has taken a teaching job at Ryerson University.

    Olivia Chow joins Toronto's Ryerson University as a visiting professor

    Canadian National Railway returns to bargaining table with Unifor

    Canadian National Railway returns to bargaining table with Unifor
    OTTAWA — Talks continue today between Canadian National Railway (TSX:CNR) and the union representing nearly 5,000 employees under the company's threat of a lockout.

    Canadian National Railway returns to bargaining table with Unifor

    Patton Oswalt plays Rob Ford-inspired character on new Vince Gilligan show

    Patton Oswalt plays Rob Ford-inspired character on new Vince Gilligan show
    TORONTO — The ignoble exploits of a certain former Toronto mayor often seemed like a made-up Hollywood story.

    Patton Oswalt plays Rob Ford-inspired character on new Vince Gilligan show

    Ontario revises sex-education curriculum for first time since 1998

    Ontario revises sex-education curriculum for first time since 1998
    TORONTO — The first update of Ontario's sex-education curriculum since 1998 will bring it in line with other provinces, but could lead the way in teaching the concept of consent, Education Minister Liz Sandals said Monday.

    Ontario revises sex-education curriculum for first time since 1998