Saudi
Arabia has begun an investigation into why a crane collapsed in the
Muslim holy city of Mecca, killing at least 107 people.
The huge
red crane crashed into a part of the Grand Mosque as it was filled with
worshippers, less than two weeks before the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Officials say strong winds and heavy rains caused the crane to fall.
Correspondents say there have previously been concerns about safety on Saudi construction sites.
The
Grand Mosque, known as the Masjid al-Haram, is the largest mosque in
the world and surrounds Islam's holiest place, the Kaaba.
At least
230 people were injured in the incident. It is unclear how many people
were hurt by the collapse or the stampede that followed it.
Those killed are reported to include Indonesian, Indian, Iranian and Egyptian citizens.
The crane fell through the outer ring of the Grand Mosque
More than 200 people were injured
The crane was one of a number around the Grand Mosque being used in construction work
The incident happened at 17:23 local time (14:23 GMT) on Friday.
Videos
posted online showed the moment the structure collapsed, with a loud
crash followed by panic and shouting. Bodies and blood could be seen on
the floor of the mosque.
The head of Saudi Arabia's civil defence
agency, Lt Sulayman Bin-Abdullah al-Amr, said an investigation was being
carried out to assess the damage, and the "extent of the safety of
these sites".
Essam al-Ghalib, a Jeddah-based journalist, said the
crane fell through the outer ring of the Grand Mosque and punctured
through the roof sending down tonnes of cement and debris onto people
either praying or walking through.
Up to two million people are expected to arrive in Mecca for the Hajj from all over the world later this month.
Saudi officials say the crane disaster will not prevent the Hajj going ahead.
Irfan
Al-Alawi, from the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation, told the BBC
that the Grand Mosque is currently surrounded by 15 large cranes amid
major redevelopment work.
"The entire area is like a salvage yard," Mr Al-Alawi said.
"Saudi
Arabia has to re-think its health and safety strategy," he said, "as
there were 800,000 people in the mosque area at the time of the
accident."
The original parts of the Grand Mosque date back 1,400
years. Consisting of a large square surrounded by covered prayer areas,
the building has since been extensively modernised, notably from the
mid-20th Century.
Saudi authorities began a major expansion of
the site last year to increase the area of the mosque by 400,000 square
metres (4.3 million square feet), to allow it to accommodate up to 2.2
million people at once.
Title : Mecca crane collapse: Saudi inquiry into Grand Mosque disaster
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