Hajj Death Toll At 717 And Rising: What Caused The Tragedy?

More than 700 people have been killed during Hajj — an annual pilgrimage to Mecca — in Saudi Arabia. According to numbers released by CNN, the numbers have been steadily increasing as more bodies are being found. The question now shifts to: Why did the tragic turn of events happen?

Hajj is a pilgrimage of faith that must be performed by Muslims, if they are physically and financially able to make it, at some point during their lifetimes. The yearly event is logistically grueling and challenging. At any time, there are many things that can go wrong. Authorities have to deal with millions of people, coming from across the globe, who are focused on fulfilling their duties. Over two million are expected to make the Hajj pilgrimage this year. The increased ability to travel has made accessibility to Mecca and Mina easier, causing growth in the average number of visitors to increase from around 100,000 in the 1920’s to over two million today.

Some of the suspected reasons for the tragedy range from heat and exhaustion to masses of people pushing in opposite directions. There may have been confusion among first-time Hajj travelers — more commonly known as Hajis — trying to make their way through the rituals.

Hajj travelers must make their way through five days worth of rituals. One of those rituals is the “stoning of the devil.” This part of the Hajj takes place in Mina, approximately two miles from the holy site of Mecca. That’s where the deadly stampede took place.

According to findings reported by NPR, the Hajj incident was spurred by two crowds coming from opposing directions. They converged at an intersection in Mina, on the outskirts of Mecca, and the pushing and shoving started. Other reporters and witnesses claim that Saudi authorities didn’t have control over the crowd.

The Saudis have spent billions of dollars to make the annual Hajj event more accommodating and safe for worshippers. But, there are still incidents that happen.

Earlier, before this year’s Hajj, a crane toppled and killed 107 people and injured at least 238 others. The crane crashed through the Grand Mosque. The structure is the largest mosque in the world and surrounds the Kabba.

This year’s incident at Hajj marks the second deadliest in the history of the event. In 2006, a similar event happened during the stone throwing portion of the event. A stampede killed at least 363 people. The Hajj has been marred by other tragedies, as well. The Saudi government has invested $1.2 billion dollars in a bridge that was supposed to eliminate the stampedes.

[Photo by Muhannad Fala’ah/Getty Images]