Stampede near Mecca leaves at least 310 dead
At least 310 people were killed, and 450 were injured, in a stampede near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, according to The New York Times.
The deaths occurred on the first day of Eid al-Adha, one of the holiest holidays in the Muslim calendar, and as millions of Muslims were making their pilgrimage, or hajj, to Mecca.
Saudi civil defense authorities confirmed the deaths on Twitter and said that two medical centers had been opened in Mina to treat the injured. More than 4,000 emergency workers were sent to the scene, and hundreds of people were taken to four hospitals.
The stampede occurred less than two weeks after a large construction crane toppled and crashed into the Grand Mosque in Mecca, killing at least 111 people and injuring 394 others.