95 injured in Makkah crane tragedy discharged from hospital

Manama: Health authorities in Makkah said that 95 people wounded in the collapse of a huge construction crane at the Grand Mosque have left the hospital. The other victims are still being treated, the General Directorate for Health Affairs, said.

The latest figures released by the Civil Defense indicated that 107 people were killed and 238 were injured when the crane buffeted by string winds collapsed a short time after 5 pm and a few minutes before the call for Maghrib (sunset) prayers when the Grand Mosque would be filled with worshippers.

The health officials said that they were able to deal with the tragedy as they had been trained for such situations ahead of the pilgrimage season which opens next week.

“We have mobilized 36 medical teams that we reinforced with doctors and paramedics from emergency departments, and we also called in staff from the cities of Jeddah and Taef near Makkah to assist with the medical work,” the general directorate said.

More than two million pilgrims are expected to congregate in and around Makkah for four days of prayers and supplications as part of the pilgrimage, the last of Islam’s five pillars.