The President of Iran Hassan Rouhani is
calling for an investigation after a stampede at the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca led to the deaths
of nearly 800 people. The crush took place after two large crowds of pilgrims
converged at an intersection. The King of Saudi Arabia has ordered a safety
review into the disaster, but the country’s most senior cleric has said that
the incident was ‘beyond human control’. This is an explanation that many have
refused to accept though as this is just the latest in a number of events to
take place during the Hajj, including in 2006 when 360 people were killed in a
stampede which took place in Mina. Additionally, this stampede occurred only a
week after a crane collapsed on a Mosque in Mecca , an incident which killed over 100
people. In the wake of these disasters many are demanding Saudi Arabia take
more safety measures in order to prevent such tragedies from happening again,
but after billions of dollars were spent expanding Mecca’s Grand Mosque in
preparation for this year’s Hajj, Saudi authorities may be wondering what more
they can do to keep people safe when the pilgrimage takes place again next
year.
This was a brief summary of the week's events surrounding the stampede at this year's Hajj. It was taken from the TEN: Politics YouTube show, Week in Review.
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