At least 717 people have been killed and over 850 have been injured during a tragic stampede in Saudi Arabia overnight, claiming the lives of hundreds of pilgrims traveling, or Hajj, to Mecca on the first day of Eid al-Adha.
A stampede reportedly converged about five kilometres out of Mecca, as a “crowding” incident near the Jammat Bridge structure took place – colliding groups of pilgrims sparked the deadly stampede.
Yesterday’s incident has been classified as the worst Hajj tragedy since 1990, when over 1400 pilgrims died from lack of ventilation in a tunnel. The incident also closely follows an accident that took place on September 11 this year – a crane crashing into the Grand Mosque claimed the lives of 111 people in the area.
At the time of writing, it is unknown whether any Australian citizens were among the victims of the fatal stampede. “The Australian Embassy in Riyadh is in contact with Saudi authorities to determine whether Australians have been affected by this incident,” a spokesperson said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
