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Scores Dead As Crane Crashes Into Mecca Grand Mosque


Saudi authorities say at least 107 people were killed and scores injured when a construction crane crashed into the Grand Mosque of the holy Muslim city of Mecca on September 11.

The accident happened as pilgrims from around the world gathered in Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage set to begin later this month.

The civil defense authority announced the collapse and rising casualty figures via Twitter.

Videos and photos published by social media users showed police and onlookers attending to multiple bloodied bodies on the polished mosque floors.

The mosque is surrounded by a number of cranes as a massive project is currently under way to increase the area of the mosque by 400,000 square meters, allowing it to accommodate up to 2.2 million people at once.

The governor of Mecca region, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, has ordered an investigation into the incident.

Based on reporting by AFP and AP

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