The Saudi Civil Defense authority confirmed that a crane collapsed through the ceiling of the mosque during strong winds created by a powerful storm. The collapse killed at least 107 people, injured more than 238 and trapped many pilgrims under the debris.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly before 5:20pm on Friday, which is one of the busiest times of the week, when the crane fell into the east side of the mosque, with its boom crashing through the roof. One witness reported that the crane fell on the third floor above Al-Safa and Al-Marwah at 5:45 pm local time.
There were strong sand storms in the region over the preceding week. The authority said an hour before the disaster that Mecca was experiencing medium to heavy rains. There were also reports of winds of more than 40 kilometres per hour (25 mph). However the exact cause of the crane collapse was not confirmed.
Following the accident the governor of Mecca, Prince Khaled Al Faisal, ordered an investigation into the incident. Search and rescue teams and medical workers from the Saudi Red Crescent were sent to the site. Pictures and video circulating on social media showed many dead and wounded amidst severe damage to the building.
The German-made Liebherr Group crawler crane involved in the incident is operated by the Saudi Binladin Group, who are heading the expansion of the Grand Mosque and also responsible for a large amount of major building contracts in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Binladen Group is the second largest construction company in the world and was founded by billionaire Mohammed Bin Laden (father of Osama Bin Laden). An engineer for the group said that the crane was erected in "an extremely professional way", and the accident was an "act of God".
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