Saudi Arabia: 87 Killed After Crane Collapses On Grand Mosque In Mecca

In this Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015 photo, Muslim pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Thousands of Muslims from all over the w... In this Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015 photo, Muslim pilgrims circumambulate around the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Thousands of Muslims from all over the world have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the annual hajj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca. Every Muslim is required to perform the hajj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) MORE LESS
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UPDATE: Sept. 11, 2015, 2:56 PM ET

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s civil defense authority has raised the death toll from the collapse of a construction crane at Mecca’s Grand Mosque, saying at least 87 people have been killed.

The authority announced the latest casualties’ figure from Friday’s accident on its official Twitter account.

The accident happened as pilgrims are streaming into Islam’s holiest city for the annual hajj pilgrimage later this month.

Videos and photos posted by social media users showed a grisly scene, with police and onlookers attending to bloodied bodies on the polished mosque floors.

___

Schreck reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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