RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 24 (UPI) — At least 310 worshippers were killed and 450 injured in a stampede during the Hajj pilgrimage near the Islamic holy city of Mecca Thursday.
The stampede took place in Mina during a ritual known as “stoning the devil,” part of the annual pilgrimage that has Muslims throw stones at a rock wall to symbolize the rejection of evil.
Saudi Arabia’s civil defense authorities said a rescue operation was underway. Teams led the other pilgrims to safer routes. More than 220 rescue vehicles, along with thousands of pilgrims, were attending to the injured.
Mina is located about three miles east of the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Hajj is one of the world’s largest gatherings and a celebrated event on the Islamic calendar. The stampede happened on the first day of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice. The pilgrimage attracts some 2 million Muslims to Mecca.
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