And you thought the war in Iraq was bad?

From here:

At least 345 people were killed and 1,000 injured in a stampede on the final day of a symbolic stoning ritual at the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca today.

It happened as tens of thousands of pilgrims filed past al-Jamarat, three large stone walls representing the devil that are pelted with stones by the pilgrims so they can purge themselves of sin.

General Mansour al-Turki, an interior ministry spokesman, said 345 people had been killed, and a Red Crescent doctor at the scene put the number of injured at around 1,000.

Mr Turki said the tragedy had been sparked when pieces of luggage fell from moving buses and pilgrims apparently tripped over them as they rushed towards the stone walls.

There have been deadly stampedes at the hajj in previous years. In 1990, 1,426 people died, and a further 244 pilgrims were killed in February 2004.

Don't know what to say about this, necessarily. Just found it curious.



(Filed under Religion of Peace?)