A History of Hajj Tragedies
The annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, known as the hajj, has been plagued by disaster in recent years, leaving thousands of pilgrims killed, many in stampedes.
The annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, known as the hajj, has been plagued by disaster in recent years, leaving thousands of pilgrims killed, many in stampedes.
This year around 2.5m people from around the world were participating in the annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia’s holiest shrines when at least 345 of them were killed in a stampede today.
It started when pilgrims tripped over luggage that had been dropped amid the crowds of people rushing to carry out the devil-stoning ritual at the al-Jamarat site in the city of Mina, which is just outside Mecca.
Today’s news comes after 76 pilgrims were killed when a hostel in Mecca collapsed in a narrow street.
Some 3,000 people have died in incidents at the hajj in the last 20 years in stampedes, demonstrations, and fires at pilgrim camping areas and one person was killed when a bomb exploded near Mecca’s Grand Mosque in 1989.
The worst incident in modern times was in 1990 when a stampede at a tunnel in Mecca killed 1,426 pilgrims, many of them Malaysians, Indonesian and Pakistanis. The pilgrims were killed in in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to the holy sites in Mecca, where pilgrims go through a series of rituals on the hajj and travel from all over the world to attend.
The most recent stampede tragedy was just two years ago when 250 pilgrims were crushed to death at Jamarat Bridge, prompting calls for greater safety measures to be put in place.
This year Saudi Arabian authorities had made various attempts to improve safety for the pilgrims, some of whom save up for years to fulfil the duty of every Muslim to try and do the hajj at least once in their lifetimes.
Ramps and walkways to the al-Jamarat site had been widened and the tall obelisks which the faithful throw stones at to symbolically purge themselves of the devil had been rebuilt as stone walls 26 metres long. It had been hoped that by allowing people a greater area to pelt the religious monuments with pebbles, the site would be safer.
As well as the changes to the al-Jamarat site, some 60,000 security staff have been put in place this year to try and avoid accidents, and to deter attacks by Islamist extremists who oppose the Saudi royals.
Since the crowds began arriving earlier in the week, helicopters have been flying overhead watching the pilgrims, and authorities monitor the crowds from a control room through closed-circuit television.
But often the police appear overwhelmed, unable to manage the crowds - a task complicated by peddlers selling food and souvenirs to the pilgrims and jamming up traffic.
In theory, two of the ramps leading up to the pillars are for entry and two for exit, but pilgrims often ignore the rules and go up and down wherever they wish.
Signs giving directions to pilgrims - many of whom are at the site for the first time - are scant.
Previous disasters in recent years include:
February 1 2004 244 pilgrims killed and a similar number injured at al-Jamarat
March 5 2001 35 people killed in stampede at al-Jamarat
April 9 1998 Around 180 pilgrims trampled to death when panic erupted after several fell off an overpass at al-Jamarat
April 15 1997 Fires driven by high winds tear through a sprawling, overcrowded tent city at Mina, trapping and killing more than 340 pilgrims and injuring 1,500
May 23 1994 270 pilgrims, most of them Indonesian, killed at al-Jamarat
July 2 1990 1,426 pilgrims, many of them Malaysians, Indonesian and Pakistanis, killed in stampede in overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in Mecca in the worst hajj tragedy of modern times
July 9 1989 Two bombs explode in Mecca, killing one pilgrim, and wounding 16 others. Saudi authorities blame Iranian-inspired terrorists and later behead 16 Kuwaiti Shia Muslims for bombings. Iran denied involvement.
July 31 1987 402 people, mostly Iranian pilgrims, killed and 649 wounded in Mecca when security forces clash with Iranians staging illegal anti-US demonstration
Hajj Insurance
Sir,
I was surprised to see a newspaper report that some Muslim leaders have suggested insurance for Hajj Pilgrims. I do not know what exactly this means? The idea is preposterous. All I can say is, no Hajee will try to take a life insurance for going to Hajj. It will affect the sanctity of the Hajj. This is a political gimmick.
Secondly, what about the Hindus going to Tirupathi, Kumbakonam or to Aiyyappan Temple, or Amarnath temple’ Sikhs going to the Golden temple, Christians to Bethlehem or Vatican etc? Why should they not be insured? India is a secular country, so why should a welfare scheme be initiated for one community only? Let there be similar schemes for all communities. Otherwise, it is all likely to be considered as appeasement of Muslims for no fault of theirs.
By M.Z. Chida, P.O.Box.No.2625, Chennai.