87 people killed as crane crashes in Mecca's Grand Mosque
Last edited Fri Sep 11, 2015, 03:12 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: The Guardian
At least 87 people were killed and as many as 184 more were injured when a crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca on Friday, the Saudi Arabian government has said.
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Pictures circulating on social media, which the Guardian could not independently verify and which were too graphic to reproduce, showed what appeared to be numerous bodies on the ground - as well as bloodied, injured people being helped the scene.
They showed a large group of people lying on marble-like flooring, most of them near to a wall and surrounded by rubble and other debris. One man appears to be being wheeled out of the building on a wheelchair.
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Al-Arabiya television earlier said the crane had fallen because of strong storms. Western Saudi Arabia has been hit by strong sand storms in the past few days.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/11/crane-crashes-grand-mosque-mecca-haj-pilgrimage
= new reply since forum marked as read
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34226003
I know what people will be posting, but most people are kind and doing the best they can do in the circumstances.
If shit falls out of the sky and lands on me or my neighbors, I'd rather not anyone say I somehow "deserved it" for the atrocities of my government or my religion.
I'm doing my best to make the world a better place, as best I know how.
It was simple luck that I was born in a place where I can speak more or less freely, but maybe that's only so far as I'm considered harmless.
I haven't been beat up or shot by a cop... yet.
They've been eradicating much of old Mecca to make it more attractive to wealthy pilgrims -- and making the city incredibly tacky in the process. That tiny black square in the middle is the Kaaba.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masjid_al-Haram
The third Saudi extension (1988–2005) saw the building of more minarets, the erecting of a King's residence overlooking the mosque and more prayer area in and around the mosque itself. These developments have taken place simultaneously with those in Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah. This third extension has also resulted in 18 more gates, three domes corresponding in position to each gate and the installation of nearly 500 marble columns. Other modern developments include the addition of heated floors, air conditioning, escalators and a drainage system. . . .
Northern expansion of the mosque began in August 2011 and is expected to be completed in 1.5 years. The area of the mosque will be expanded from the current 356,000 m2 (3,830,000 sq ft) to 400,000 m2 (4,300,000 sq ft). A new gate named after King Abdullah will be built together with two new minarets, bringing their total to 11. The cost of the project is $10.6 billion and after completion the mosque will house over 2.5 million worshipers. The Mataaf (the circumambulation areas around the Kaaba) will also see expansion and all closed spaces will be air conditioned.
Friday. 
