Tent housing Egyptian pilgrims catches fire in Mina: Reports
A tent housing a number of Egyptian pilgrims in the Saudi city of Mina has reportedly caught fire, in yet another deadly tragedy to hit Hajj pilgrims this year.
The tent went up in flames on Friday after fire from an adjacent kitchen spread to it, causing the eight panicked Egyptian women inside to run out screaming in terror, Arabic-language Egyptian daily al-Youm al-Sabe' reported.
The report added that eight fire trucks quickly rushed to the site, and fire fighters extinguished the blaze in a short while.
There were no immediate reports of casualties and the extent of damage inflicted in the aftermath of the mishap.
Fatal Mina crush
The incident happened only a day after a deadly stampede broke out in Mina, located about five kilometers (three miles) east of the holy city of Mecca, as large numbers of pilgrims were on their way to participate in the symbolic stoning of Satan, a Hajj ritual.
Citing Saudi sources, Head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Sa’eed Ohadi said on Friday that nearly 2,000 people, including 131 Iranian nationals, have lost their lives in Thursday’s crush in Mina.
Hojatoleslam Seyyed Ali Ghazi Askar, the head of Iran’s Hajj mission, also said 365 Iranian pilgrims are still missing after the tragic incident.
This is while Saudi authorities have put the number of the victims at 717.
Mecca crane collapse
The crush was the second deadly accident to strike Hajj pilgrims this month, after a massive crane collapse in Mecca killed more than 100 and left over 200 others wounded.
The incident happened after the tower crane was toppled by strong winds and storm in the city, crashing into the Grand Mosque ahead of the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
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