Stampede at the Hajj

[Sally]

Sad that this had to happen. Regardless of what we might think of the religion and their rituals, for so many of these pilgrims this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and then to have this catastrophe befall them is a shame.


Radhica Sookraj
Published:
Friday, September 25, 2015

Pilgrims visiting Mecca are seen spending the night in Mudhulifa on Wednesday. PHOTO COURTESY ACKLIMA MOHAMMED


Two hundred and forty Trinidadians who journeyed to Mecca for Hajj have survived yesterday’s stampede which killed more than 700 people and injured 800 others in Saudi Arabia.

T&T Guardian’s sales executive Acklima Mohammed and her husband Mobarak Mohammed who are in Mecca had just performed the Jamaarat ritual known as "stoning the devil" in the tent city of Mina and had moved to the third floor of the building, when the stampede occurred.

Video footage provided by Mohammed showed bodies piled upon bodies. Few were moving. Ambulances rushed to the scene while Muslims gawked at the pile-up of still bodies. While international media reports said the cause of the stampede was still being investigated, Mohammed said she believed the chaos occurred when a group of Muslim faithfuls tried to stone the Jamaarat at an unscheduled time.

Continue reading at:

‘Stormers’ caused fatal stampede?

 

[irosie91]

it is mind boggling-----they did all kinds of security measures to control this kind
of thing -------I would suggest that they limit the size of the crowds----limit
the admissions next time

 

[waltky]

Pilgrims 'didn't follow paths'...

717 people dead: What caused the Hajj stampede?
25 Sept.`15 - 717 people dead: What caused the Hajj stampede?

Among the suggested causes: pilgrims rushing to complete the rituals, heat, masses of faithful pushing against each other in opposite directions, even confusion among the many first-timers on the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca and Mina.

Too many people, too little time

Bodies lie covered in sheets. The death toll has been climbing steadily.

More than 2 million Muslims from around the world are in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, a pilgrimage that all Muslims who have the financial and physical ability make at some point in their lives. The millions of people must perform a litany of rituals in five days, including the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina, about 2 miles away from the Mecca holy site. That's where Thursday morning's deadly stampede took place, killing 717 people and injuring about 900 more. On Friday, Iran's semiofficial FARS news agency said 131 Iranians were among the dead. The state-run Egyptian AhramOnline said at least 30 Egyptian pilgrims were also among the dead. Thursday was day three of the five-day Hajj.

People stand near bodies covered in sheets.

Hajj pilgrim Ethar El-Katatney, a journalist and blogger, said people were trying to push their way in opposite directions -- some headed to the site of the stoning, some coming back from their previous ritual. "As our group started to head back, taking Road 204, another group, coming from Road 206, crossed our way," said another worshipper, Ahmed Mohammed Amer. "Heavy pushing ensued. I'm at a loss of words to describe what happened. This massive pushing is what caused the high number of casualties among the pilgrims." After the stampede, it took hours for rescue workers to try to tend to all those trampled. "The ambulances, the sirens were overwhelming," El-Katatney said. "For hours and hours, you could hear them constantly."

Bodies lie in the street as emergency personnel work.

El-Katatney said the sight of the carnage was simply "horrendous." "It's literally a pile of bodies of people who ... pushed, they shoved, they panicked, they screamed," she said. "It was hot, someone fell, others trampled and they got stampeded." Time pressures may also have contributed to the disaster, El-Katatney said. "There's so little time to complete the rituals," she said. Journalist Khaled Al-Maeena said he believes pilgrims rushing to finish could have been the main reason for the stampede. "People like to do the first stoning in the morning," he told CNN from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Extreme heat and exhaustion

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Sad that this had to happen. Regardless of what we might think of the religion and their rituals, for so many of these pilgrims this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and then to have this catastrophe befall them is a shame.


Radhica Sookraj
Published:
Friday, September 25, 2015

Pilgrims visiting Mecca are seen spending the night in Mudhulifa on Wednesday. PHOTO COURTESY ACKLIMA MOHAMMED


Two hundred and forty Trinidadians who journeyed to Mecca for Hajj have survived yesterday’s stampede which killed more than 700 people and injured 800 others in Saudi Arabia.

T&T Guardian’s sales executive Acklima Mohammed and her husband Mobarak Mohammed who are in Mecca had just performed the Jamaarat ritual known as "stoning the devil" in the tent city of Mina and had moved to the third floor of the building, when the stampede occurred.

Video footage provided by Mohammed showed bodies piled upon bodies. Few were moving. Ambulances rushed to the scene while Muslims gawked at the pile-up of still bodies. While international media reports said the cause of the stampede was still being investigated, Mohammed said she believed the chaos occurred when a group of Muslim faithfuls tried to stone the Jamaarat at an unscheduled time.

Continue reading at:

‘Stormers’ caused fatal stampede?

This kind of shit happens pretty regular over there.

 

[irosie91]

Throwing stones at the wall must be the BIG HIGHLIGHT of the day over there.
No wonder---there is no dancing, no singing -------just trudging around
a BIG CUBE and rock. Humans have their limits------that's why allah
INVENTED dancing and singing and humor and jokes-----to break the
unbearable BOREDOM. ~~~~la la la A HUNDRED BOTTLES OF BEER
ON THE WALL..... la la la ~~~~ <tired voices singing on the long bus ride home> <<<<<< has saved many long boring bus rides from general disorder.
I suggest that singing breaks be instituted during the HADJ trudge--------
I think KUMBAYA is a good choice ---OR------"A BEAR WENT OVER THE
MOUNTAIN" --------or ----"knick knack paddy whack....."

 

[Roudy]

This time the wild jackasses stampede over each other in a religious ritual of "throwing stones at the devil" and in an effort to show the world just how peaceful their religion is. Over 700 dead and over 800 injured and counting. Yes, Islam is truly a peaceful religion.

Stampede kills hundreds at Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca - CNN.com

 

[irosie91]

This time the wild jackasses stampede over each other in a religious ritual of "throwing stones at the devil" and in an effort to show the world just how peaceful their religion is. Over 700 dead and over 800 injured and counting. Yes, Islam is truly a peaceful religion.

Stampede kills hundreds at Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca - CNN.com

the devil retaliated.......... they always forget about RETURN FIRE

 

[Roudy]

Buy your cleated flip flops for next years Hajj jackass stampede and go to Mecca equipped. Buy one get one Free!

 

[Toro]

Thanks for demonstrating empathy.

That was really cool.

 

[RandomVariable]

Did someone yell, "Crane!"?

 

[irosie91]

Did someone yell, "Crane!"?

not funny------you are insensitive-------but now that I think about it-----I have
concluded that the DEVIL DID IT-------the devil saw them coming-----and said
to himself "DANNY DEVIL-----they are going to throw rocks at you-----DO
SOMETHING" ---so Daniel the Zionist devil-----DROPPED A CRANE ON THEM.
-----"that'll teach them" quoth danny--------they will never pick up a rock against me
again-----said danny with typical Zionist chutzpah------then........well,, the rest is history

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

The only savages are the OP and those who agree with him; innocent lives were lost, lives no less valuable because of their religion

 

[BreezeWood]

.

This time the wild jackasses stampede ...

.
wild must distinguish them from everyone else, certainly not as jews .... just simply being the same.

.

 

[TheOldSchool]

The only savages are the OP and those who agree with him; innocent lives were lost, lives no less valuable because of their religion

True. Going on a Hajj to Mecca may be silly religious nonsense, but it's always a tragedy when so many lives are lost.

 

[Yarddog]

This time the wild jackasses stampede over each other in a religious ritual of "throwing stones at the devil" and in an effort to show the world just how peaceful their religion is. Over 700 dead and over 800 injured and counting. Yes, Islam is truly a peaceful religion.

Stampede kills hundreds at Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca - CNN.com

OH yes I see, its Global Swarming, not Global Warming. well, its coming soon to an European country near you

 

[Yarddog]

The only savages are the OP and those who agree with him; innocent lives were lost, lives no less valuable because of their religion

True. Going on a Hajj to Mecca may be silly religious nonsense, but it's always a tragedy when so many lives are lost.

yes that is true

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

The only savages are the OP and those who agree with him; innocent lives were lost, lives no less valuable because of their religion

True. Going on a Hajj to Mecca may be silly religious nonsense, but it's always a tragedy when so many lives are lost.

Old School, it was a very sad news to hear about so many people dying over a stampede. Almost a thousand people? It was a senseless tragedy and has happened here in America too in the biggest shopping day of the year (is it Thanksgiving or day after?) there were stampeded reports - more than once - and people died as a result! But no where near 1,000 people. Very sad and I am sorry for the families of these people who are getting the news now that their family member, loved one died.

 

[RandomVariable]

Thanks for demonstrating empathy.

That was really cool.

Empathy? Give a little to get a little.

 

[irosie91]

The only savages are the OP and those who agree with him; innocent lives were lost, lives no less valuable because of their religion

True. Going on a Hajj to Mecca may be silly religious nonsense, but it's always a tragedy when so many lives are lost.

Old School, it was a very sad news to hear about so many people dying over a stampede. Almost a thousand people? It was a senseless tragedy and has happened here in America too in the biggest shopping day of the year (is it Thanksgiving or day after?) there were stampeded reports - more than once - and people died as a result! But no where near 1,000 people. Very sad and I am sorry for the families of these people who are getting the news now that their family member, loved one died.

it has happened before and------now for the good news-----sophisticated safeguards
WERE put into effect by those SAUDI ROYALS (a few years ago) ----something
went wrong----------no doubt they will AGAIN try to fix the system and remove
the glitches. Of interest is that IRAN -----is blaming the Saudi Royals-------Please ---anyone out there------who is SURPRISED that Iran is BLAMING THE SAUDI KING-------raise your really IGNORANT hand

 

[aris2chat]

This time the wild jackasses stampede over each other in a religious ritual of "throwing stones at the devil" and in an effort to show the world just how peaceful their religion is. Over 700 dead and over 800 injured and counting. Yes, Islam is truly a peaceful religion.

Stampede kills hundreds at Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca - CNN.com

There is an expectation than many of those injured might not make it and death toll will be even higher.