753 pilgrims die in Mecca stampede - UPDATED-3 - PHOTO - VÄ°DEO

753 pilgrims die in Mecca stampede - <span style="color: red;">UPDATED-3  - <span style="color: red;">PHOTO  - <span style="color: red;">VÄ°DEO
# 25 September 2015 07:33 (UTC +04:00)

According to the information, most of those died in Mecca's crush were the citizens of African countries.

More than 4,000 rescuers are working on the scene, and 220 ambulances were deployed to the site.

The crush incidents during hajj have happened before. Some 1,427 pilgrims died in a pedestrian tunnel leading from Mecca to Mina tent city in 1990.

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Baku – APA. At least 717 people taking part in the Hajj pilgrimage have been killed in a stampede near the Islamic holy city of Mecca, officials in Saudi Arabia say, APA reports quoting BBC news.

Another 805 people were injured in the incident at Mina, which occurred as two million pilgrims were taking part in the Hajj's last major rite.

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Baku – APA. The death toll from a stampede during the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia on Thursday has risen to 453 people of various nationalities, the Saudi civil defense said, APA reports quoting Reuters.

It said that the crush, caused by large numbers of people gathering at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, had left 719 people injured.

The crush happened in the Mina valley, a few miles outside Mecca, where pilgrims stay for several days during the climax of the pilgrimage in a camp city of 160,000 tents.

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Baku – APA. The stampede occurred during the ritual known as "stoning the devil" in the tent city of Mina, about two miles from Mecca.

"We have a stampede accident in Mina and civil defense is dealing with it," Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said.

The latest death toll, according to the civil defense ministry, is 310 but the numbers have been climbing steadily throughout the day.

Officials deployed 4,000 workers and 220 ambulances and other vehicles to Mina to help with the disaster.

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Tragedy occurred during Hajj pilgrimage

Baku – APA. A stampede killed 220 people and left 450 others wounded at Mina, Saudi Arabia officials said.

APA reports quoting CNN that the stampede occurred during the ritual known as "stoning the devil," where crowds of pilgrims throw stones at a rock wall meant to symbolize a rejection of evil.

The news comes just two weeks after 107 people were killed and after a crane crashed into the middle of Saudi Arabia's Grand Mosque in Mecca.

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