Tragic incidents during Hajj pilgrimage through the years

Over the years, the annual religious pilgrimage has been marred by tragic accidents and fatalities.


News Desk June 24, 2024

Every year, millions of Muslims travel from around the world to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage, known as Hajj.

Over the years, this religious pilgrimage has been marred by fatal accidents and tragedies. This year, extreme weather conditions led to the deaths of more than 1,300 people.

Here is a look at some of the deadly incidents:

1975:

A fire at a tent in Mina, caused by the explosion of a gas canister, killed 200 pilgrims.

1987:

An unauthorised anti-US and anti-Israel rally was suppressed by Saudi security forces, resulting in the deaths of 400 pilgrims, including 275 Iranians.

1990:

A stampede at a tunnel in Mina, following a ventilation system failure, killed 1,426 pilgrims.

1994:

Another stampede during the stoning ritual at Mina led to the deaths of 270 pilgrims.

1997:

A fire, fuelled by strong winds, in a tent at Mina resulted in the deaths of 343 pilgrims.

2004:

A stampede during the stoning ritual at Mina killed around 250 pilgrims and injured more than 240 others.

2006:

At least 345 pilgrims were killed in a stampede, marking the highest number of deaths in 16 years. An eight-story building used as a hostel near the Grand Mosque in Makkah collapsed a day before Hajj commenced that year, killing at least 73 people.

2015:

A huge stampede at Mina reportedly caused more than 2,400 pilgrims to lose their lives, making this the deadliest pilgrimage in Hajj history. In another incident the same year, 111 people were killed and nearly 400 others were wounded during a crane accident at Makkah's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site.

2024:

The death toll of pilgrims dying from excessive heat during Hajj crossed 1,300, with temperatures hitting 48 degrees Celsius.

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