MECCA — 2015 · Major Tragedy
Grand Mosque Crane Collapse
On the afternoon of 11 September 2015, shortly before the Hajj, a giant crawler crane used in the expansion of Mecca's Grand Mosque toppled into the mosque during a violent storm and heavy rain. Its boom fell onto worshippers in the courtyard; 111 people were killed and around 400 injured. Saudi authorities said the construction company had not followed safety standards and imposed sanctions. However, the 13 defendants tried for negligence were acquitted by the Mecca Criminal Court in 2017, which ruled the accident was caused by a natural event, the severe storm, and the verdict was upheld on appeal.
- Date
- 2015
- Place
- Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Mecca, SA
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 21.4225, 39.8262 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 11 September 2015A construction crane toppled into the Grand Mosque during a storm.
- 12 September 2015The death toll was reported above 107; an inquiry began.
- September 2015Authorities imposed sanctions on the construction company.
- 1 October 2017The court acquitted all 13 defendants of negligence.
- December 2017The appeals court upheld the acquittals.
Sources
- CNN — 107 killed in crane collapse at Mecca's Grand Mosque cnn.com ↗
- Al Jazeera — Crane collapse kills at least 107 in Mecca Grand Mosque aljazeera.com ↗
- Gulf News — Mecca court acquits 13 defendants gulfnews.com ↗
- CNN
- Al Jazeera
- Gulf News
Source grade B: at least one verifiable linked source. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.