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

    B.C. Finance Minister Readies Shiny Old Shoes For Tuesday's Balanced Budget

    B.C. Finance Minister Readies Shiny Old Shoes For Tuesday's Balanced Budget
    VICTORIA — Finance Minister Mike de Jong says he'll be wearing an old pair of black leather shoes he had shined up and repaired in time for Tuesday's budget.

    B.C. Finance Minister Readies Shiny Old Shoes For Tuesday's Balanced Budget

    Mudslide Causes Home Evacuation, Damage To Vehicles, Highway Closure In Okanagan

    Mudslide Causes Home Evacuation, Damage To Vehicles, Highway Closure In Okanagan
    SICAMOUS, B.C. — A mudslide in the Okanagan has caused a home evacuation and closed a major road. The slew of mud and debris came down 13 kilometres south of Sicamous, B.C., at around midnight Sunday.

    Mudslide Causes Home Evacuation, Damage To Vehicles, Highway Closure In Okanagan

    Canadian Shot Putter Finally Slips Olympic Bronze Medal Around His Neck

    KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Chants of "Dylan, Dylan" broke out in the Tournament Capital Centre as Dylan Armstrong walked the red carpet towards his Olympic bronze medal Sunday.

    Canadian Shot Putter Finally Slips Olympic Bronze Medal Around His Neck

    Victoria's Chinatown, A Walk Through History And Even The Bricks Mean Long Life

    Victoria's Chinatown, A Walk Through History And Even The Bricks Mean Long Life
    VICTORIA — With its huge lion-and-dragon sculptured welcome gate, its hidden alleyway — once home to secret gambling and drug dens — and its red sidewalk bricks, Victoria's Chinatown is a living, breathing slice of history.

    Victoria's Chinatown, A Walk Through History And Even The Bricks Mean Long Life

    Crown to seek adult sentence for Quebec teen facing terrorism-related charges

    Crown to seek adult sentence for Quebec teen facing terrorism-related charges
    MONTREAL — A federal prosecutor says she'll seek an adult sentence for a Quebec teenager facing two terrorism-related charges.

    Crown to seek adult sentence for Quebec teen facing terrorism-related charges

    Judge rapped for visiting dating website, chatting up sex assault detective

    Judge rapped for visiting dating website, chatting up sex assault detective
    TORONTO — A judge who created a bogus online dating profile and told a detective that information from the website could have been used to "hang" a female complainant has had his knuckles rapped by Ontario's top court.

    Judge rapped for visiting dating website, chatting up sex assault detective