Note: Al Jazeera report contains graphic images
Shocked and grieved, many residents in Qatar are extending their condolences to those affected in last night’s crane collapse in Makkah’s Grand Mosque, in which at least 107 people have been killed and more than 200 injured.
Most of those inside the crowded mosque were gearing up for Hajj, which begins on Sept. 21.
The crane, one of more than a dozen around the mosque, crashed down shortly before sunset prayers on Friday.
The collapse was apparently caused by strong winds and heavy rain, Al Jazeera English reports.
It quoted Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense director-general as saying:
“The crane collapsed near Al-Salam gate on the upper side of Al-Masaa area, and that caused the collapse of a small part of Al-Masaa and another section of Al-Mataf, the bridge area around the holy Kaaba,” Amr told Saudi state TV.
As authorities work to identify the victims, QNA states that those from Qatar who were already in Saudi for Hajj were not harmed in the crane collapse, and “all Qataris in Al Hajj are in good health.”
Because of ongoing construction to expand the Grand Mosque, Saudi slashed the number of visas granted to pilgrims this year.
Of the 19,000 who applied to go to Hajj in Qatar, only 1,200 people were granted visas, 900 of them Qatari.
Rest in peace
Last night, Qatar’s Emir, its deputy Emir and prime minister all sent their condolences to Saudi Arabia’s king, saying they were “praying upon Allah the Almighty to bestow blessing(s) upon the deceased and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.”
Qatar residents are also paying their respects to the victims and their loved ones:
Meanwhile, an investigation is being carried out to assess the damage, and the “extent of the safety of these sites,” BBC reports Saudi authorities as saying.
Thoughts?
What a horrible accident. Just before Haj season as well.
Also, the embedded AJ report contains a shocking scene of the aftermath with dozens of bodies strewn about. Viewer discretion is advised – a disclaimer that may be warranted to include, DohaNews!
Good point. Warning added.
Well that’s what MIMH truly thinks about what happened.
And your point is….? This is a valid question, surely a person of faith would expect to at least be protected by an omnipotent creator on their trip of a lifetime? My previous comment was deleted by Shabina on the weather thread, so fair enough, but maybe it will be allowed to stay here….
In essence, I said that the faithful will explain this in one of two ways:
1) God is almighty and we cannot be expected to understand his nature (or capricious whims apparently)
2) God is mad about the excessive commercialisation of Mecca, so what better way to draw attention to his wrath than allowing a crane to claim some poor victims?
The only explanation connected to reality is the crass theme park Mecca has apparently become, with $1000-a-night hotel rooms overlooking the Kaaba, and of course, lax planning and weak H&S enforcement……..
God was too busy answering the prayers of good Muslims who wanted a new Bentley. Took his eye off the ball, school boy error
So why did god kill his most devoted followers? Or are you saying his power is limited to intervene?
Going on hajj seems a dangerous business, it wasn’t so long ago many died in the fires that swept through the camping grounds and now the grand mosque is damaged and over a 100 killed.
However I am interested in the tent city Saudi has for pilgrims. Most of the year it is not used and could house up to a million Syrian refugees. Go on, do something God would be proud off and help your fellow Muslims.
It’s a bit disingenuous to call haj dangerous. The fire was nearly 20 years ago and this latest tragedy did not happen during haj. Stampedes are a more frequent menace, and there have been a few of those in recent history.
One major incident in over 20 years of over 1.5 million people congregating in one relatively tiny swathe of land is hardly what I’d call a miserable safety record.
On the other hand, you may just be a troll.
I guess you’re new to DN.
MIMH is the most decorated troll on DN. I assume his only job is trolling here.
I think you’re confusing ‘trolling’ with ‘hard truths that I don’t want to entertain or accept because they clash with my naive, inflexible faith-based views’
troll sticking with other troll , how good of you .
When I state something that is untrue or factually inaccurate then you can call me a troll, but you can’t can you
The annual hajj to Mecca is littered with death and destruction, from stampedes like you say, fires, bombs and now construction accidents not to mention the diseases you pick up from pilgrims coming all places in the world.
It should come with a health warning like cigarette packets!
Deleting this thread for devolving.
ان لله وانا اليه راجـعـون
A tragedy on such an important and symbolic event, but there are tower cranes erected all over the world and they don’t all fall over. The cranes and their anchorage are designed to withstand the worst case weather scenario plus a structural reserve so unless this was a once-in-a-lifetime storm then someone somewhere has fouled-up. I imagine the Structural Engineer (and it may ultimately be found not to be his fault) is currently having palpitations.
What is the point of investigating an act of God? How dare those people investigate God?
God definitely needs investigating, it’s really a psychological mess, and causes serious issues in those so easily led as to believe in it……may I quote Prof. Dawkins?
“The God of the Old Testament (that’s the Torah and Koran, too) is arguably the most
unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty,
unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic
cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal,
filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously
malevolent bully.”
He killed those people to get them to heaven quicker. We shouldn’t be sad for them we should be happy!
at least you know that they will go to heaven . you said it you self.
So why are many Qataris “shocked and grieved” if the dead went straight to heaven?
they will be missed (the grieving ) , but death is a natural thing . the way the died . (the shock)
How are you going to miss people that you’ve never met? And if an act of God comes as a shock, is your faith strong enough?
the will be missed as brothers in the faith. & act of god like you say or any other cause. my faith does give me strength do deal with it .ALHAMDULLAH
wow. Your username pretty much answers your own questions.
This wasn’t a tower crane. It was a large mobile crawler crane.
Not really the time for cheap comments. Whatever the reason, the fact remains lots of kids are waking up without parents today. RIP those involved.