1990 Mecca tunnel tragedy

Crowd crush incident Mecca tunnel.jpg Tunnel where the crush took place 1990 07 03 y Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia 1,426 On 2 July 1990, 1,426 people were suffocated and trampled to death in a crowd crush or stampede event in a tunnel near Mecca during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.(24 Sep 2015). More than 700 pilgrims die in crush in worst haj disaster for 25 years https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113323/http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0RO0RN20150924 2016-03-04 , Reuters Event The incident occurred inside a 550 m ft mid -long us and 10 m ft mid -wide us pedestrian tunnel (tunnel Al-Ma'aisim) leading out from Mecca towards Mina and the Plains of Arafat. The tunnel had been worked on as part of a $15-billion project around Mecca's holy sites started two years earlier by the Saudi government.(5 July 1990). Pilgrimage Ends; Iran rips Saudis https://web.archive.org/web/20150925135332/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19900705&id=p84zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6OsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5851,851216&hl=en 2015-09-25 , Eugene Register-Guard (Associated Press) While pilgrims were traveling to perform the ritual Stoning of the Devil at 10:00 a.m.,(16 July 1990). Saudi Arabia A Tragic Ascension to Paradise https://web.archive.org/web/20151007001420/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,970654,00.html 2015-10-07 , Time (magazine) (subscription required) the disaster started when a pedestrian bridge railing was bent, causing seven people to fall off a bridge and onto people exiting the tunnel.(4 July 1990). Witnesses describe stampede that killed 1,400 pilgrims in Mecca https://web.archive.org/web/20150925135149/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=19900704&id=kgFgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Mw4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=2659,725062&hl=en 2015-09-25 , Bangor Daily News (Associated Press) The tunnel's capacity of 1,000 soon filled with as many as 5,000 people.Mahmoud, Aly (5 July 1990). `Stoning The Devil' Began Mecca's Tunnel Tragedy, Seattle Times (Associated Press) With outside temperature at 44 C F, a failure of the tunnel's ventilation system was also blamed for many of the deaths.(6 July 1990). Horror revisted https://web.archive.org/web/20150925135159/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1320&dat=19900706&id=AMFWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P-oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3698,1895159&hl=en 2015-09-25 , Gainesville Sun Some witnesses claimed they believed a demonstration was occurring; others reported that the power to the tunnel was deactivated.(10 July 1990). Filipino Pilgrims Among Victims of Mecca Tunnel Tragedy https://web.archive.org/web/20150925133023/http://www.ucanews.com/story-archive/?post_name=%2F1990%2F07%2F10%2Ffilipino-pilgrims-among-victims-of-mecca-tunnel-tragedy&post_id=30852 2015-09-25 , UCA News Saudi officials concluded that crowd hysteria occurring from the falling pilgrims was the cause.Middle East Contemporary Survey: 1990, Volume 14; Volume 1990 https://web.archive.org/web/20160515161120/https://books.google.com/books?id=PnidGMqhBbYC&pg=PA190 2016-05-15 , p. 190 Many who died were of Malaysian,(19 July 1990). Saudis yet to accept our offer of experts https://web.archive.org/web/20160520100727/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1309&dat=19900719&id=qFlPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MZADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3792,829593&hl=en 2016-05-20 , New Straits Times (93 Malaysians confirmed dead by 19 July 1990. Final number grew) Indonesian and Pakistani origin.http://www.quran-islam.org/main_topics/islam/pillars/al-hajj/stoning_tragedies_(P1321).html True Islam Quran-Islam.org 2013-07-31 2018-12-25 https://web.archive.org/web/20181225120359/http://www.quran-islam.org/home_(P1).html live https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/jan/13/saudiarabia A history of Hajj tragedies | World news theguardian.com January 13, 2006 2013-07-31 London 2019-12-18 https://web.archive.org/web/20191218120805/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/jan/13/saudiarabia live (3 July 1990). 1,000 Muslims Reportedly Killed In Stampede at Mecca Pilgrimage https://web.archive.org/web/20161107114706/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/03/world/1000-muslims-reportedly-killed-in-stampede-at-mecca-pilgrimage.html 2016-11-07 , The New York Times (Associated Press) According to one Malaysian account, 80 percent of the deaths occurred outside the tunnel, and 20 percent (about 285) inside.(18 July 1990). Tunnel tragedy death toll may reach 155, says Yusof https://web.archive.org/web/20160502120511/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=x8G803Bi31IC&dat=19900718&printsec=frontpage&hl=en 2016-05-02 , New Straits Times Among the victims was Âmil Çelebioğlu, a professor of Turkish literature and language.Öztoprak Nihat Hayrânî (Âmil Çelebioğlu)'nin Hafiflemeleri https://turkishstudies.net/language?mod=tammetin&makaleadi=&key=72956 Reactions Immediately after the event, King Fahd stated that the event was "God's will, which is above everything", adding that "had they not died there, they would have died elsewhere and at the same predestined moment".(3 July 1990). Stampede kill 1,400 https://web.archive.org/web/20150925135130/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19900703&id=I5tMAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lzUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6820,1005487&hl=en 2015-09-25 , Rome News-Tribune About 680 of those who died were Indonesians, and Indonesian officials criticized the Saudi government, saying it "cannot run from the responsibility for the tunnel disaster simply saying it was an act of God".Ibrahim, Youssef M. (19 July 1990). Saudis Criticized Over Mecca Tunnel Disaster https://web.archive.org/web/20170730190813/http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/19/world/saudis-criticized-over-mecca-tunnel-disaster.html 2017-07-30 , The New York Times Iran also expressed concerns after the incident,(15 July 1990). Iran says Saudis killed pilgrims https://web.archive.org/web/20150925135134/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19900715&id=t-kxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PuUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6059,5793611&hl=en 2015-09-25 Reading Eagle (Reuters) and Turkey issued a brief complaint. Calls for an international investigation were rejected by the Saudis. References 30em collapsed Saudi Arabia Category:20th century in Mecca Category:Disasters in religious buildings and structures Category:Incidents during the Hajj Category:Human stampedes in 1990 Hajj Stampede Category:Human stampedes in Saudi Arabia Category:1990 disasters in Saudi Arabia Category:July 1990 in Asia