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107 dead in Mecca as crane collapses on Islam's most sacred mosque, Al-Masjid al-Haram

107 dead in Mecca as crane collapses on Islam's most sacred mosque, Al-Masjid al-Haram

The Saudi Arabia civil defence authority reports nearly 200 injured as preparations were being made for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

The authority said the crane fell as a result of a storm in the vicinity, however, it is not yet known if this was the sole reason or whether there were any structural faults with the crane. A tweet below appears to show lightning hitting the crane minutes before it fell which may have caused the tragedy. If so, questions will be asked as to why it wasn’t fitted with a sufficient electrical grounding mechanism.

Every year hundreds of thousands of Muslims make their way to the site as part of the Hajj Pilgrimage. According to Al Jazeera, the crane fell at approximately 5:45p.m., with the mosque being packed 45 minutes before prayer.

Some viewers may find footage in the video below disturbing and so viewer discretion is advised.

https://youtu.be/SqxwoQLpC0A

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