Hajj Stamped Death Toll Rises to 769
The death toll from the deadly stampede in Mecca during the annual Hajj, the largest regular migration of humans on the planet, has risen to 769, according to the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health.
The number of dead is 52 higher than that which had been previously announced, as people taken to various hospitals for treatment died from their injuries, according to Reuters. Another 934 were also injured in the deadly stampede that took place Thursday.
It is unclear what triggered the tragedy, as the government says some pilgrims did not follow protocols or orders, causing chaos and the rush. However, survivors of the incident say that security forces closed off the exits at a particularly crowded location, triggering the stampede, according to The New York Times.
An investigation by the Saudi Authorities is ongoing.
The stampede was the second deadly incident in Islam's holiest city in the past month. Just weeks before the Hajj was set to begin, a severe storm caused a crane that was improperly secured to fall into the grand mosque, killing 100 people and injuring nearly 400 who had gathered for the evening prayers that were set to take place an hour later.
This most recent stampede was the deadliest in recent memory. Unfortunately, such incidents are not entirely uncommon. In 2004, 244 people were killed in a stampede while in 2006, 360 people were killed, but the deadliest incident in recent history took place in 1990 when 1,426 people were killed in a stampede.
