Stricken families were hunting for their loved ones yesterday after a stampede that killed hundreds of Muslims at the hajj, a disaster Saudi authorities have blamed on unruly pilgrims.
In the absence of an official list of casualties, families continued to seek news of their missing relatives among the dead and wounded of the worst stampede during the Muslim pilgrimage since 1,426 pilgrims were killed in 1990.
At least 345 people were trampled to death and almost 300 injured on Thursday as they tripped over luggage in a scramble to hurl pebbles at symbols of Satan on the last day of the annual pilgrimage, Saudi officials said.
Riyadh blamed the stampede on unruly pilgrims from outside officially-sanctioned operators.
But some witnesses said police triggered the chaos by suddenly blocking the entrance to a bridge, and others reported panic among pilgrims about when they should perform the last rite of hajj in which some 2.5 million took part.
Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz said in remarks published yesterday by the Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the stoning ceremony had been taking place for several days without problems.
"But what happened is that more than 12 people were carrying a large amount of baggage on their backs, so when it became too crowded they fell on the ground one on top of the other," he said.
"People kept falling one on top of the other until about 300 people died," he said.
"Our pilgrim brothers are forbidden from carrying baggage and workloads on their shoulders during the stoning ritual," he added.
On Thursday, Saudi Health Minister, Hamad bin Abdullah Al-Maneh said the stampede was caused by "unruly pilgrims, and a problem of luggage."
Interior ministry spokesman Mansur Al-Turki also said the accident occurred "because of the luggage that fell and led to a rush at the eastern entrance of the Jamarat bridge," where the pilgrims stone the three pillars.
The stoning of Satan is the riskiest episode of the hajj as the pilgrims jostle to make sure their pebbles touch the pillar while the weaker ones risk being trampled on by the masses.
The latest tragedy comes days after 76 people were killed when a hostel in the heart of Mecca collapsed last week.
Almost 60,000 security, health, emergency and other personnel were involved in organizing this year's hajj, trying to prevent the deadly incidents that have marred it in recent years from being repeated.
The ritual, which is spread out over three days, marks the final part of the hajj pilgrimage for the more than two million Muslim pilgrims who have flocked to Mecca from around the world.
The hajj, which follows a journey by Prophet Mohammed over 1,400 years ago, is one of the five pillars of Islam and a once-in-a-life time duty for those able to complete it.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of
A prominent Christian leader has allegedly been stabbed at the altar during a Mass yesterday in southwest Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was saying Mass at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm when a man approached him at the altar and allegedly stabbed toward his head multiple times. A live stream of the Mass shows the congregation swarm forward toward Emmanuel before it was cut off. The church leader gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing a large online following, Officers attached to Fairfield City police area command attended a location on Welcome Street, Wakeley following reports a number