Deaths 345+ | Non-fatal injuries 1000+ | |
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Date 12 January 2006 (2006-01-12) Location Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia | ||
The 2006 Hajj stampede resulted in the deaths of at least 364 pilgrims on 12 January 2006 during the Hajj in Mecca.
Contents
Background
The Hajj is an annual pilgrimage in Mecca undertaken by able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime. It consists of a series of rites including the Stoning of the Devil (Arabic: رمي الجمرات ramī aj-jamarāt, lit. "stoning of the jamarāt [place of pebbles] which takes place in Mina, a district of Mecca. The stoning ritual is the last major ritual and is often regarded as the most dangerous part of the Hajj, with stampedes occurring in the past.
With a history of fatal stampedes at The Hajj – including a stampede which killed 244 in 2004 – authorities in Mecca had taken steps in the hopes of reducing chances of another stampede, including the issuing of a fatwa extending the permitted hours of the ritual.
Incident
The stampede occurred when pilgrims fell over luggage that had been discarded in the rush to take part in the stoning.