Hajj stampede death toll reaches 244

In the worst tragedy in seven years at the annual Muslim pilgrimage, 244 worshippers were trampled to death and hundreds more were hurt beneath a crush of people making their way to a ritualistic stoning of the devil.

Panic ensued when a few pilgrims fell on a bridge, and others tried to escape the push of the oncoming crowd, authorities said.

Safety measures were in place at the site -- one where fatal stampedes have been frequent -- but "caution isn't stronger than fate," Saudi Hajj Minister Iyad Madani said.

The tragedy marked the worst disaster at the annual pilgrimage, or hajj, since 1997, when 340 pilgrims died in a fire at the overcrowded Mina tent camp. Seven of those injured today were in critical condition, Madani said.

The site of the deaths was a two-story walkway in Mina, the location of the stone pillars where pebbles are thrown. The same area was the scene of deadly tramplings in 1998, 2001 and last year.

"All precautions were taken to prevent such an incident, but this is God's will," Madani told journalists at a press conference.

Brigadier Mansour al-Turki of the Saudi General Security Forces blamed the deaths on "the mass of people on the bridge, and the state of panic that erupted after some of them fell."

"The trampling begins with a small number of people falling, followed by a state of panic and an attempt to escape the crowd, which leads to an increasing number of victims," he said.

[excerpt, rest at link above]

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