Main Cause of Deadly Stampede Near Mecca Revealed
SputnikNews.com
24.09.2015
The behavior of pilgrims was the main cause of the stampede that killed at least 717 people at the annual Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia earlier on Thursday, Saudi Health Minister Khalid Al-Falih said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The crush, which left over 800 people injured, took place as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims streamed into the Mina Valley near Mecca to celebrate the Muslim religious holiday of Eid al-Adha.
The traditional ritual is performed as part of the annual Haj pilgrimages to Mecca. The ritual is considered a dangerous event due to the huge crowds that give rise to bottlenecks in and around the holy site.
“This incident could have been averted if the pilgrims had followed the instructions,” Al-Falih told the Saudi Al Ekhbariya TV channel, adding that many of the pilgrims set out to perform the “stoning-of-the-devil” ritual without observing the schedule established by the organizers.
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