By Pauline Rivera
Saudi Civil Defense directorate confirmed that 717 people have been killed and 863 were injured in a stampede that occurred Thursday (Wednesday, Manila Time) in Mina , on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Tchima Illa Issoufou of BBC Hausa, who was at the scene, reported “People were going towards the direction of throwing the stones while others were coming from the opposite direction. Then it became chaotic and suddenly people started going down.”
The Saudi civil defense directorate said in a statement that the stampede occurred at around 09:00 local time (2PM in the Philippines) at the junction of Street 204 and Street 223.
The pilgrims were walking towards the Jamarat Bridge, where they are to carry out a symbolic “stoning of the devil” by throwing pebbles against three stone walls.
The injured were taken to four different hospitals in the Mina region to be attended to, according to a civil defense spokeperson.
Saudi officials said they expected the death toll to rise. The Millennial Post
The Saudi civil defense directorate said in a statement that the stampede occurred at around 09:00 local time (2PM in the Philippines) at the junction of Street 204 and Street 223.
The pilgrims were walking towards the Jamarat Bridge, where they are to carry out a symbolic “stoning of the devil” by throwing pebbles against three stone walls.
The injured were taken to four different hospitals in the Mina region to be attended to, according to a civil defense spokeperson.
Saudi officials said they expected the death toll to rise. The Millennial Post