Hajj 2015: Over 700 martyrs after stampede at Mina

A stampede on Thursday morning killed over 450 people and left more than 700 injured during a ritual at the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage to the country’s holiest city Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia. Hundreds were killed and injured, Saudi authorities said.

The pilgrimage is apart of the holy Hajj season, and the stampede took place in Mina during the “stoning of the devil” ritual.

The officials further added that the stampede occurred as more than a million pilgrims were taking part in the last major rite of the Hajj.

“Saudi Arabia’s officials are to blame for the incident”, Amir Abdollahian said Thursday, stressing that their lack of prudence in providing security for pilgrims is “non-negligible”.

No Danes were among the 717 Muslims killed during a stampede in Mecca this afternoon, but at least one was injured, the Foreign Ministry has confirmed. Mina is where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing small rocks against three stone walls.

Thursday is also Eid al-Adha, when Muslims slaughter a sheep.

The Civil Defense Authority announced that over 719 other people were injured in the stampede that took place at Mina.

More than 2 million Muslims from around the world are attending events over several days at the annual pilgrimage.

More than 220 rescue vehicles and ambulances – along with 4,000 pilgrims – were helping respond to the incident, it said, advising pilgrims to take alternative routes.

In the wake of the disaster, Saeed Ohadi, leader of the Iranian hajj organizing agency, blamed Saudi Arabia for “safety errors” and said that “mismanagement by the Saudis” led to the tragedy. On September 11, over 100 people died when a crane crashed through the Grand Mosque in Mecca.