At least 107 dead in crane collapse in Mecca's Grand Mosque

Doug Stanglin | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Death toll rises at Mecca's Grand Mosque A towering construction crane toppled over during a violent rainstorm in Mecca, Islam's holiest site, crashing into the Grand Mosque and killing at least 87 people ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage later this month. (Sept.11)

A huge construction crane buffeted by strong winds collapsed and crashed onto the Grand Mosque in Mecca on Friday, killing as many as 107 worshipers only days before the start of the annual Muslim pilgrimage, the Saudi Arabia Civil Defense reports.

The Civil Defense said on Twitter that as many as 238 people had been injured.

Photos sent by Twitter from the scene show numerous blood-covered bodies strewn on a marble floor under the arm of a large crane.

Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Mansouri, spokesman for the Presidency of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet Mosque, blamed the accident on a "strong sandstorm, winds and torrential rains," the official Saudi Press Agency reports.

Even before the crane accident, the Civil Defense was warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and wind in the area. The Saudi Civil Defense said search and rescue teams and medical workers from the Saudi Red Crescent were quickly sent to the scene.

The accident occurred as the kingdom prepared to welcome 3 million people to the Muslim holy city for the annual pilgrimage that begins Sept. 21.

Reports of the accident were also carried by Al Arabiya and other Middle East news sites. The Khaleej Times says there are "many casualties."

The Grand Mosque or Great Mosque of Mecca (also known as Masjid al-Haram) is the largest mosque in the world. It surrounds Islam’s holiest place, the Kaaba, in the city of Mecca. Muslims face in the direction of the Kaaba while performing their obligatory daily prayers.

One of the five pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the hajj pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime. The hajj is one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world.

The complex covers 88.2 acres, which includes outdoor and indoor prayer spaces. It's open 24 hours a day.

Last year, the number of people permitted to perform the hajj was lowered for safety reasons because of construction work to enlarge the Grand Mosque, Reuters reports.

Contributing: Susan Miller in McLean, Va.