Crane collapses in Mecca Grand Mosque
A winch crane toppled over onto a construction area in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
A winch crane toppled over onto a construction area in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The crane operator was injured in the incident that occurred late afternoon on Sunday in an isolated area near Gate 160 in the third expansion area, the general presidency for the Masjid Haram in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina said.
There were no worshippers or anyone performing prayers in the incident area.
The crane toppled over due to it being overloaded, the presidency added in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
During Ramadan, the most sacred month for Muslims, the Grand Mosque in Mecca is among the most crowded areas in the world with tens of thousands of Muslims performing Umrah (minor Hajj) or praying there.
In September 2015, close to 400 were killed after a crane collapsed on the Grand Mosque.
