Page 9 - Minister Alex Schwengle
P. 9
WORLD NEWS 9
Saturday 26 September
Saudi Arabia accused of neglect over deadly disaster at hajj
AYA BATRAWY are still investigating Thurs- Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims walk in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Ara-
JON GAMBRELL day’s accident, Health bia. Saudi Arabia faced new accusations of neglect Friday in the hajj disaster that killed over 700
Associated Press Minister Khalid al-Falih has people, the second tragedy at this year’s pilgrimage overseen by the kingdom’s rulers.
MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — blamed it on the masses
Saudi Arabia faced new themselves, telling a Saudi (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy)
accusations of neglect broadcaster that “some
Friday in the hajj disaster pilgrims had moved in the
that killed over 700 people, wrong direction amid the
the second tragedy at this crowds.”
year’s pilgrimage overseen But a survivor who spoke to
by the kingdom’s rulers The Associated Press said
who base their legitimacy some Saudi guards only ex-
in part on protecting Is- acerbated the stampede
lam’s holiest sites. at Mina by refusing to open
Leading the criticism was nearby gates that could
regional Shiite powerhouse have relieved the crush.
Iran, which always seeks an The street where the inci-
opportunity to undermine dent took place is about
its Sunni adversary. 12 meters (36 feet) wide
Iranian President Hassan and lined with barricades,
Rouhani said in New York behind which are tents of
that at least 140 Iranians hajj tour groups. Pilgrims
were killed. He suggested move in one direction to
that “ineptitude” by the and from a religious com-
Saudi authorities involved plex, where they throw
in organizing the hajj was stones at pillars represent-
to blame for the two acci- ing the devil. On Thursday,
dents this month that have the crowds apparently col-
resulted in at least 830 lided with each other at
deaths. an intersection, the Interior
In Tehran, the Iranian For- Ministry said.
eign Ministry summoned Survivor Mahfouz el-Taweel
a Saudi envoy for the sec- of Egypt told the AP he
ond time in as many days was in the crowd packed
to hear protests over the shoulder to shoulder that
incident, a vice president collided on the same street
blamed Saudi “misman- with another mass of peo-
agement,” and thousands ple coming from a differ-
marched in the streets and ent direction. Those in the
denounced the Saudi royal back were unaware of this
family. and pressed forward, caus-
Saudi Arabia has spent bil- ing a crush of bodies, tram-
lions of dollars and under- pling and a stampede, the
taken massive construc- 52-year-old el-Taweel said.
tion projects to make the “If they had barred peo-
annual hajj safer for the ple from coming the other
world’s Muslims, and the way, this would not have
last serious loss of life had happened,” he said.
occurred nine years ago. “I’m coming to perform the
In the worst hajj disaster hajj, not to die,” el-Taweel
in a quarter century, two added. “These people
huge waves of pilgrims deserve compensation.
converged Thursday on a It’s not just enough to say
street near a religious site God’s will and call them
in Mina, and 719 people martyrs.”
were crushed or trampled He said Saudi Arabia
to death, while 863 were should share responsibil-
injured. That followed an ity for the hajj with a multi-
accident Sept. 11 in which national force from some
a storm toppled a crane at of the countries that send
the Grand Mosque in Mec- large numbers of pilgrims,
ca that killed 111 people. such as Egypt.q
While Saudi authorities
