2015 Mina disaster
The way to Jamaraat Bridge (2011)
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| Time | 09:00 AST (UTC+03:00) |
|---|---|
| Date | 24 September 2015 |
| Location | Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
| Coordinates | 21°24′59.5″N 39°53′04.9″E / 21.416528°N 39.884694°E |
| Cause | Disputed, under investigation |
| Deaths |
Estimates: 2,411 (AP) 2,070 (Reuters) 2,236 (AFP) 2,431 (Total/National) 769 (Saudi government) |
On 24 September 2015 an event described as a "crush and stampede" caused deaths estimated at well over 2,000 pilgrims, suffocated or crushed during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The high number of deaths caused by the disaster make it the deadliest Hajj disaster in history. Estimates of the number of dead vary; the Associated Press reported 2,411[update] dead, while Agence France-Presse reported 2,236[update] killed. Based on the total of the individual national reports cited in the table below (nationalities of victims), at least 2,431[update] people died. The government of Saudi Arabia officially reported two days after the event that there had been 769 deaths and 934 injured. These figures remained official at the time of the following year's hajj. The largest number of victims was from Iran, followed by Mali and Nigeria.
The crush took place in Mina at the intersection of streets 204 and 223 leading up to Jamaraat Bridge. The cause of the disaster remains in dispute. The Mina disaster inflamed tensions between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran, which were already elevated due to the wider turmoil in the Middle East, such as the Syrian Civil War and Yemeni Civil War. In a press conference held on the day of the incident, Saudi Ministry of Interior spokesman Mansour Al-Turki attempted to address most issues regarding the incident. He said in September 2015 that an investigation was ongoing, and that the exact cause of the overcrowding that led to the deadly crush had not yet been ascertained.
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