Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has ordered a safety review for the Hajj pilgrimage after at least 717 people died and 863 were injured in a stampede at Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, according to reports.
Via a report in Germany’s DW, Saudi officials put the blame for the tragedy partially on”undisciplined pilgrims” who had “not followed instructions.”
King Salman has called for an investigation into the incident.
“Many pilgrims move without respecting the timetables,” which was the “principal reason for this type of accident,” Health Minister Khaled al-Falih was quoted by El-Ekhbariya television as saying on Thursday.
As Saudi authorities and others look for causes, criticism in the media is mounting of how the Hajj is safeguarded. Over 2 million pilgrims are performing the rites in Saudi Arabia this year, and managing the influx of pilgrims is a daunting task for the government and civil defense bodies.
According to the Washington Post, Iranian officials “accused Saudi security forces of blocking two pathways along the hajj route, causing congestion and killing at least 131 of its nationals. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saudi authorities should shoulder responsibility, blaming their ‘mismanagement’ for the catastrophe.”
King Salman, speaking in a live speech broadcast by Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television, also said he had asked for a swift investigation into what he described as a painful incident.
