Crane Collapses into Grand Mosque, Killing 107
September 16, 2015 12:58 PM Subscribe
This year’s hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca that is required for all Muslims to make once in their lives if they are able) will probably begin next week, but a pall was cast over the event when a crane collapsed into the Grand Mosque, killing 107 and injuring hundreds more.
The crane was part of the controversial $26 billion expansion of the mosque (doubling its capacity to more than 1.5 million worshippers) by the Saudi Binladin Group. While the collapse is being investigated, the board and senior executives have been barred from leaving the country, and the company is barred from new public contracts for the time being. The investigation so far has blamed safety shortcuts; construction safety has received increased emphasis in Saudi Arabia recently with an eye toward attracting more foreign investment.
That's not the only problem for the hajj this year, as public health experts warn of the possibility of a MERS outbreak in the crowded mosque. The Saudi Ministry of Health has recommended that children, pregnant women, and the elderly not make the hajj this year.
The crane was part of the controversial $26 billion expansion of the mosque (doubling its capacity to more than 1.5 million worshippers) by the Saudi Binladin Group. While the collapse is being investigated, the board and senior executives have been barred from leaving the country, and the company is barred from new public contracts for the time being. The investigation so far has blamed safety shortcuts; construction safety has received increased emphasis in Saudi Arabia recently with an eye toward attracting more foreign investment.
That's not the only problem for the hajj this year, as public health experts warn of the possibility of a MERS outbreak in the crowded mosque. The Saudi Ministry of Health has recommended that children, pregnant women, and the elderly not make the hajj this year.
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posted by Navelgazer at 1:12 PM on September 16, 2015
posted by Navelgazer at 1:12 PM on September 16, 2015
What a horrible accident. On CNN they're saying a freak storm caused it by overturning the crane.
posted by orange swan at 1:13 PM on September 16, 2015
posted by orange swan at 1:13 PM on September 16, 2015
May Allah accept their Hajj and admit them into Jannah.
posted by Talez at 1:16 PM on September 16, 2015 [29 favorites]
posted by Talez at 1:16 PM on September 16, 2015 [29 favorites]
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posted by hopeless romantique at 1:18 PM on September 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by hopeless romantique at 1:18 PM on September 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
This is terribly sad.
I wonder if any Muslim figures of political/religious authority will make claims about this event being a form of judgment, as some Americans do in the event of various kinds of disasters.
posted by clockzero at 1:20 PM on September 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
I wonder if any Muslim figures of political/religious authority will make claims about this event being a form of judgment, as some Americans do in the event of various kinds of disasters.
posted by clockzero at 1:20 PM on September 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
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posted by bitterpants at 1:40 PM on September 16, 2015
posted by bitterpants at 1:40 PM on September 16, 2015
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posted by Joey Michaels at 1:41 PM on September 16, 2015
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:41 PM on September 16, 2015
I wonder if any Muslim figures of political/religious authority will make claims about this event being a form of judgment, as some Americans do in the event of various kinds of disasters.
Some people may claim it is a sign, but tragedies around the hajj are not that rare. Which is somewhat understandable when you have 2 million people all going to the same places at the same time. Part of the reason that people are required to get their affairs in order before going for the hajj.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:48 PM on September 16, 2015 [14 favorites]
Some people may claim it is a sign, but tragedies around the hajj are not that rare. Which is somewhat understandable when you have 2 million people all going to the same places at the same time. Part of the reason that people are required to get their affairs in order before going for the hajj.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:48 PM on September 16, 2015 [14 favorites]
Do not read the comments in any of the attached articles.
posted by schmod at 1:49 PM on September 16, 2015 [15 favorites]
posted by schmod at 1:49 PM on September 16, 2015 [15 favorites]
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posted by ogooglebar at 1:51 PM on September 16, 2015
posted by ogooglebar at 1:51 PM on September 16, 2015
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posted by oceanjesse at 1:57 PM on September 16, 2015
posted by oceanjesse at 1:57 PM on September 16, 2015
Some people may claim it is a sign, but tragedies around the hajj are not that rare. Which is somewhat understandable when you have 2 million people all going to the same places at the same time. Part of the reason that people are required to get their affairs in order before going for the hajj.
You said it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_during_the_Hajj
posted by anazgnos at 2:05 PM on September 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
You said it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_during_the_Hajj
posted by anazgnos at 2:05 PM on September 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
I have never heard any Muslim attribute such a calamity to God's judgement the way I routinely hear certain sorts of Christians doing. It's a terrible event.
If you die on Hajj you automatically are a shahid and you go to Paradise.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 2:28 PM on September 16, 2015 [14 favorites]
If you die on Hajj you automatically are a shahid and you go to Paradise.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 2:28 PM on September 16, 2015 [14 favorites]
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posted by languagehat at 2:54 PM on September 16, 2015
posted by languagehat at 2:54 PM on September 16, 2015
I have never heard any Muslim attribute such a calamity to God's judgement the way I routinely hear certain sorts of Christians doing.
Interesting question, though. Quick search led me here for a number of explanations from a Muslim POV.
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posted by IndigoJones at 2:57 PM on September 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Interesting question, though. Quick search led me here for a number of explanations from a Muslim POV.
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posted by IndigoJones at 2:57 PM on September 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
. x 107. That's so terrible.
posted by en forme de poire at 3:07 PM on September 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by en forme de poire at 3:07 PM on September 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Mod note: Several deletions and a quick reminder, folks - please don't extrapolate the horrible things people *might* say. There's enough bad in the world without inventing more. Thanks.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 3:24 PM on September 16, 2015 [28 favorites]
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 3:24 PM on September 16, 2015 [28 favorites]
The reporting I've read by local sources (I work for a news organization with correspondents in the Gulf) suggests the reason the crane toppled was because of unusually high winds, rather than negligence. For the past few weeks much of the region, stretching to the Turkey has experienced strong winds and, unusually, massive, massive sandstorms.
posted by Nevin at 3:38 PM on September 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Nevin at 3:38 PM on September 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
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posted by trip and a half at 3:47 PM on September 16, 2015
posted by trip and a half at 3:47 PM on September 16, 2015
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posted by wanderingmind at 4:21 PM on September 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
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posted by wanderingmind at 4:21 PM on September 16, 2015 [4 favorites]
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posted by longdaysjourney at 4:30 PM on September 16, 2015
posted by longdaysjourney at 4:30 PM on September 16, 2015
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posted by town of cats at 5:59 PM on September 16, 2015
posted by town of cats at 5:59 PM on September 16, 2015
I'm sorry, cranes can be/should be totally safe, it's basic trig tables, at such an angle X weight is safe. Wind? Do they not have a weather service? The entire region was having high winds, the crane could have been rotated and the cable attached to the ground for reinforcement. If everything was to spec and installed responsibly, unless the storm was leveling other buildings at a tornado level a crane collapse should not happen.
posted by sammyo at 6:31 PM on September 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by sammyo at 6:31 PM on September 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
The crane collapsed after a strong thunderstorm hit Mecca, bringing gusty winds that shifted direction and caused the local temperatures to drop, CNN meteorologists reported.Perfect weather for downbursts or derechos which can be unpredictable and have tornado strength winds.
The storm was so strong, it uprooted trees and broke windows throughout Mecca, said Khaled Al-Maeena, editor at the Saudi Gazette in JeddahSo ya, widespread damage.
It's not like this doesn't happen elsewhere; the only difference between this and the Big Blue collapse for example is the number of people who happened to be in the collapse zone.
Of course it is also possible that the storm was properly forecast and the construction company just didn't take appropriate measures.
posted by Mitheral at 8:37 PM on September 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
→ I'm sorry, cranes can be/should be totally safe, it's basic trig tables
In theory, yeah, but in practice … well, heavy crane operators are paid big money for a reason. Early reports mentioned the possibility of a washout under the crane, so what looked like hard standing has a huge void underneath. I've worked on a site where a crane operator died when he drove over a culvert that had washed out. I've worked on others where cranes tipped because the load bearing mats were installed wrongly (a $25 MM Manitowoc heavy crane reduced to a whole load of scrap in seconds), and others where the floating support had drifted out from under the aggregate. I've even had excavators caught in land-slips on wet peatlands, where the ground liquefies unexpectedly. So ground conditions are difficult, and even experienced crews can sometimes get things wrong.
Whatever caused this, it's a tragedy, and my thoughts are with the families.
posted by scruss at 9:27 PM on September 16, 2015 [13 favorites]
In theory, yeah, but in practice … well, heavy crane operators are paid big money for a reason. Early reports mentioned the possibility of a washout under the crane, so what looked like hard standing has a huge void underneath. I've worked on a site where a crane operator died when he drove over a culvert that had washed out. I've worked on others where cranes tipped because the load bearing mats were installed wrongly (a $25 MM Manitowoc heavy crane reduced to a whole load of scrap in seconds), and others where the floating support had drifted out from under the aggregate. I've even had excavators caught in land-slips on wet peatlands, where the ground liquefies unexpectedly. So ground conditions are difficult, and even experienced crews can sometimes get things wrong.
Whatever caused this, it's a tragedy, and my thoughts are with the families.
posted by scruss at 9:27 PM on September 16, 2015 [13 favorites]
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posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 10:23 PM on September 16, 2015
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 10:23 PM on September 16, 2015
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I was there last year, and I'm almost relieved that there aren't even more casualties. The construction going on there, amid thousands and thousands of people, is really, really big. And despite my dislike (to say the least) of the Saudi government and their ideological (Salafi) disrespect towards holy/traditionally beloved sites, I'll be the first to admit that Ka'ba is not one of them, and the whole organisation around the Grand Mosque is impressively well-run (no doubt helped by the lessons learned from its history full of tragic accidents), so I'm inclined to guess that this was due to unforeseeable circumstances more than a blatant negligence. Here are a couple of photos I took (excuse the low quality) to show the enormity of the construction and its close proximity to the masses.
I have never heard any Muslim attribute such a calamity to God's judgement the way I routinely hear certain sorts of Christians doing.
It's certainly not a 'typical' muslim reaction, but there are many sects and groups that do so. I don't think it's as common as in the USA with those Christians, then again, the US is much more populous and televised/widely reported than my country (Turkey) so I wouldn't be surprised if the real percentage turned out to be similar. Bigotry is bigotry is bigotry.
posted by procrastinator at 2:49 AM on September 17, 2015 [16 favorites]
I was there last year, and I'm almost relieved that there aren't even more casualties. The construction going on there, amid thousands and thousands of people, is really, really big. And despite my dislike (to say the least) of the Saudi government and their ideological (Salafi) disrespect towards holy/traditionally beloved sites, I'll be the first to admit that Ka'ba is not one of them, and the whole organisation around the Grand Mosque is impressively well-run (no doubt helped by the lessons learned from its history full of tragic accidents), so I'm inclined to guess that this was due to unforeseeable circumstances more than a blatant negligence. Here are a couple of photos I took (excuse the low quality) to show the enormity of the construction and its close proximity to the masses.
I have never heard any Muslim attribute such a calamity to God's judgement the way I routinely hear certain sorts of Christians doing.
It's certainly not a 'typical' muslim reaction, but there are many sects and groups that do so. I don't think it's as common as in the USA with those Christians, then again, the US is much more populous and televised/widely reported than my country (Turkey) so I wouldn't be surprised if the real percentage turned out to be similar. Bigotry is bigotry is bigotry.
posted by procrastinator at 2:49 AM on September 17, 2015 [16 favorites]
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Wow, procrastinator, those photos are incredible.
posted by Ziggy500 at 4:51 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Wow, procrastinator, those photos are incredible.
posted by Ziggy500 at 4:51 AM on September 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
So a crane owned by Osama Binladin's brother has collapsed onto the Grand Mosque, Al-Masjid Al-Haram, killing 118 people and injuring almost 400--the deadliest crane collapse in modern history--blown over by a freak thunderstorm (that popped up inside a week-long dust storm that started in Syria and grew to envelope the entire Middle East) on September 11th? Are those honestly the facts? Is the Grand Mosque insured? If this is not due to pure negligence, to what will they attribute this catastrophe? How long will the Hadim al-Haramayn as-Sarifayn continue to allow these entirely preventable tragedies to continue? The yearly Hajj death toll should not be something we just accept as a matter of course.
posted by perhapsolutely at 10:49 AM on September 17, 2015
posted by perhapsolutely at 10:49 AM on September 17, 2015
> Wow, procrastinator, those photos are incredible.
Seconded. Thanks for sharing them.
posted by languagehat at 12:30 PM on September 17, 2015
Seconded. Thanks for sharing them.
posted by languagehat at 12:30 PM on September 17, 2015
And now apparently there has been a hotel fire.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:54 PM on September 17, 2015
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:54 PM on September 17, 2015
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posted by stoneegg21 at 8:14 PM on September 17, 2015
posted by stoneegg21 at 8:14 PM on September 17, 2015
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posted by Ms. Moonlight at 11:30 AM on September 18, 2015
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 11:30 AM on September 18, 2015
While the collapse is being investigated, the board and senior executives have been barred from leaving the country
That is an excellent response.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:13 PM on September 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
That is an excellent response.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:13 PM on September 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Stampede death toll over 400 at Stoning of the Devil near Mecca.
posted by Etrigan at 5:44 AM on September 24, 2015
posted by Etrigan at 5:44 AM on September 24, 2015
Hajj stampede near Mecca: the tragedy, explained
Updated death toll "at least 717" with 800+ injured.
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posted by tonycpsu at 11:10 AM on September 24, 2015
Updated death toll "at least 717" with 800+ injured.
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posted by tonycpsu at 11:10 AM on September 24, 2015
That is just terrifying and does not one damn thing to help me with my stress/anxiety/fear about crowds.
The poor families of those men. I can't even imagine.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:04 PM on September 24, 2015
The poor families of those men. I can't even imagine.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:04 PM on September 24, 2015
Crane manufacturer says collapse due to incorrect storage during high wind event.
posted by Mitheral at 9:18 PM on October 1, 2015
posted by Mitheral at 9:18 PM on October 1, 2015
“Escape from Mecca,” Nile Green, Project Syndicate, 12 October 2015
posted by ob1quixote at 4:37 AM on October 13, 2015
posted by ob1quixote at 4:37 AM on October 13, 2015
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