Crane Collapse in High Winds Kills More Than 85 at Mecca Mosque During Hajj

Sean Breslin
Published: September 11,2015




 

A crane has collapsed inside the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, killing at least 107 people and injuring more than 200, the country's civil defense authority said Friday. The tragedy was blamed on storms in the area, Civil Defense said on Twitter.
The incident occurred at the Grand Mosque, according to the Associated Press. Pilgrims from all over the world are descending on Mecca, Islam's holiest city, for this month's annual Hajj pilgrimage, the report added.
Multiple cranes had been erected around the mosque as construction continued on new buildings, the AP also reported. In recent years, the area around the sanctuary has been transformed with new luxury shops and high-rise buildings, including the 1,971-foot Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower, currently the third-tallest building in the world.
(MORE: 1 Killed, 1 Missing in San Antonio Floods)

Storms were present at the time of the crane collapse, according to enhanced satellite imagery.

Strong winds were the likely cause of the tragic event, according to weather.com meteorologist Jon Erdman. Just after 6 p.m. local time, weather observations showed sustained winds as high as 25 mph at Jeddah's King Abdul Aziz International Airport, located about 40 miles west of Mecca. Erdman also noted that the airport was reporting sandstorm conditions, indicating a high likelihood of strong straight-line winds from the storms.
"Infrared satellite imagery showed an impressive conflagration of thunderstorms in the mountains around the 'Hollow of Mecca' Friday evening," Erdman said. "These storms were certainly capable of producing strong outflow wind gusts, as is often the case in desert environments."
USA Today noted that Saudi Arabia Civil Defense warned of strong storms in the area before the crane collapsed. A video posted to Twitter claims to show gusty winds and heavy rain in the area just before the crane came down.

The Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in the world, spanning more than 88 acres, USA Today also reported. It is open 24 hours a day and will host more than 3 million Muslims when the Hajj begins on Sept. 21, the report added.
This is a developing story; please check back frequently for updates.
MORE: Mecca Crane Collapse