Hajj 2015: Saudi health minister blames pilgrims for Hajj stampede killing at least 717

Rescue workers carry the body of a Muslim pilgrim after a stampede at Mina, outside the holy Muslim city of Mecca, September 24, 2015. At least 717 pilgrims from around the world were killed on Thursday in a crush outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi authorities said, in the worst disaster to strike the annual haj pilgrimage for 25 years. Picture taken September 24, 2015. Reuters/Stringer

At least 717 people were killed in a stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia on Thursday while 800 others were injured. The Saudi health minister blamed pilgrims for the incident.

The incident took place as pilgrims kept moving toward the Street 204 intersecting with the Street 223. Fatigue and high temperatures also apparently played a part. Health Minister Khaled al-Falih said the incident could have been avoided if the pilgrims had respected the timetables and followed instructions.

“The accident, as most know, was a stampede caused by overcrowding and also caused by some of the pilgrims not following the movement instructions of the security and the Hajj ministry," the ABC quoted the Saudi health minister as saying.

The Saudi king called the incident painful but vowed that pilgrims would be provided all the support required to perform their rituals comfortably.

“We should undermine the magnificent work the security personnel and those deployed on Haj duties have been doing to serve the pilgrims so that they could perform their rituals with ease and comfort,” Arab News quoted King Salman.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif earlier formed an investigation committee to find out the reason behind the stampede. The findings are going to be submitted to the Saudi king.

According to crowd management experts, human stampedes take place when a group of people keep moving while those in front of them slow down or stop. The people behind keep moving as they either cannot see the people ahead of them or assume the front group will make space for them.

The Saudi Ministry of Health provided an international helpline for enquiries: +966112125552.

Meanwhile, the Hajj stampede has become a part of discussion in U.S. politics as well. Presidential candidate Jeb Bush said on Twitter that he was praying for “innocent Muslims” killed in the stampede.

Praying for the hundreds of innocent Muslims who suffered a tragic death in the stampede in Mecca during the Hajj pilgrimage.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) September 24, 2015