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| Over 200 die in Mecca stampede. Over 400 injured |
More than 200 people were killed on Thursday in a stampede at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, during the annual hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia’s civil defence service said.
At least another 400 people were injured in the incident, the service said on Twitter, adding that rescue operations were under way.
Almost two million people are expected to take part in this year's hajj, a pilgrimage all able-bodied Muslims are expected to carry out at least once as a religious duty.
The pilgrimage has been marred by numerous stampedes in the past, including one in 1990 that saw more than 1,400 killed.
Though it has been largely incident-free in recent years after safety improvements, a construction crane toppled into a courtyard of Mecca's Grand Mosque during high winds earlier this month, killing more than 100 people.
Thursday also marked the start of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice.
This year's hajj is about the most deadly. Ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, tragedy struck at least 107 people died and 238 more were injured when a crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque of Mecca.
Related Stories:
- The Mecca Sacrifice: How 107 Muslims horribly dead Islam's holiest mosque in Mecca
-France 24
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