Engineers, Local Officials to Go on Trial over Crane Collapse in Mecca

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Saudi Arabia said a number of engineers and two local officials will stand trial soon over last year’s crane collapse in the holy city of Mecca that killed more than 100 pilgrims and injured 238 people days before the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

According to al-Riyadh newspaper, after 8 months of investigations, Mecca prosecutor’s office has handed over its findings about the case to the city’s criminal court for judicial review.

A court hearing is expected to be held over the case in the coming days, the report said.

On September 11, 2015, a massive construction crane collapsed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque, killing 111 pilgrims, including 11 Iranians, and leaving over 200 others wounded.

A few days later, on September 24, 2015, more than 4700 pilgrims lost their lives in a stampede in Mina, near Mecca.

It happened when two large masses of pilgrims were directed by Saudi authorities toward one another and fused at a crossroads in Mina.

The pilgrims were on their way to participate in the symbolic stoning of Satan in Jamarat.

Saudi Arabia claims nearly 770 people were killed in the incident, but officials with Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization say about 4,700 people, including 465 Iranians, died in the tragedy.

There is no news about any investigations into the Mina disaster, which marked the deadliest Hajj-related tragedy ever.

http://iqna.ir/fa/news/3514685