Muslim pilgrims walk past a crane that collapsed the day before at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia’s holy Muslim city of Mecca, September 12, 2015. Photo: AFP
Ten Indonesian nationals were reportedly killed when a crane fell in the Masjid Al-Haram Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, last Friday.
According to Metro TV, officials in Saudi confirmed that three additional Indonesians were identified among the casualties today. Previously, seven Indonesians were reported dead among the 107 deaths caused by the falling crane.
At least 230 people were also injured from the incident. It’s unclear how many of those were Indonesian nationals.
Hundreds of thousands of Indonesians had already flown to Mecca in the lead up to the annual Hajj Pilgrimage, which takes place in less than two weeks.
The tragic crane collapse in the Grand Mosque was thought to have been caused by heavy winds. That said, the Saudi government has launched an investigation into what caused the crane to collapse and have yet to release their findings.
It was reported that, aside from Indonesians, most of the casualties from the crane collapse were pilgrims from Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Egypt and Pakistan.
If you haven’t been able to reach family members who are currently in Mecca, you can ask for assistance from Indonesian Hajj organizers (PPIH) at +966 543603154.
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