
At least 717 people have been crushed to death and hundreds of others hurt in a stampede of pilgrims in one of the worst incidents in years to hit the Muslim Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia's civil defence service said rescue operations were under way after the stampede in Mina, where almost two million pilgrims were taking part in the last major rite of the Hajj.

Pictures showed a horrific scene, with scores of bodies – the men dressed in the simple terry cloth garments worn during Hajj – lying amid crushed wheelchairs and water bottles along a sunbaked street.

Survivors assessed the scene from the top of roadside stalls near white tents as rescue workers in orange and yellow vests combed the area, placing victims on stretchers and desperately trying to resuscitate others.

The disaster comes just two weeks after a construction crane collapsed at Mecca's Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, killing 109 people.

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Saudi medics stand near bodies of Hajj pilgrims at the site where hundreds were killed in a stampede in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca

Rescue workers in orange and yellow vests comb the area, placing victims on stretchers and desperately trying to resuscitate others

Pilgrims gather around victims of a stampede which has killed hundreds of Muslims during the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mina, Saudi Arabia

Hajj horror: The stampede occurred in a morning surge of pilgrims at the intersection of streets 204 and 223 as the faithful were making their way toward a large structure overlooking the columns, according to the Saudi civil defense directorate

Saudi emergency personnel stand near bodies of Hajj pilgrims at the site where at least 717 were killed and hundreds wounded in a stampede

Survivors assess the scene from the top of roadside stalls near white tents as rescue workers in orange and yellow vests comb the area

Bodies of hundreds of dead and injured pilgrims lie strewn across the floor after they were caught up in a horrific stampede in Saudi Arabia

Pilgrims had converged on Mina just outside Mecca on Thursday to throw pebbles at one of three walls representing Satan, the symbolic 'stoning of the devil' that marks the last day of the event.

The civil defence service said that it was still counting the dead, who included pilgrims from different countries and that at least 863 people had also been hurt.

Iran said at least 43 of its citizens were dead and accused Saudi Arabia of safety errors that caused the accident.

But a Saudi minister blamed the pilgrims themselves, saying they had not followed the rules laid out by authorities.

'Many pilgrims move without respecting the timetables' set for the Hajj, Health Minister Khaled al-Falih told El-Ekhbariya television.

'If the pilgrims had followed instructions, this type of accident could have been avoided,' he said, vowing a 'rapid and transparent' investigation.

The stampede began at around 9am (6am GMT), shortly after the civil defence service said on Twitter it was dealing with a 'crowding' incident in Mina, about three miles from Mecca.

A Sudanese pilgrim in Mina said this year's Hajj was the most poorly organised of four he had attended.

'People were already dehydrated and fainting' before the stampede, said the pilgrim who declined to be named.

The stampede occurred at the intersection of Street 204 and Street 223, when it is believed two waves of pilgrims travelling in different directions collided. On Day one of the Hajj, pilgrims walk to Mina where they spend the night. On Day two, they climb nearby Mount Arafat, where Mohammed gave his final sermon. On Day three (today), pilgrims celebrate Eid al-Adha with the stoning of three pillars at Jamarat, which represents Satan. On Day four they return to Mecca for the final tawaf, which involves circling the Kaaba, at the centre of the Grand Mosque

Roughly two million Muslims take part in the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, every year. The civil defence service said that it was still counting the dead, who included pilgrims from different countries and that at least 863 people had also been hurt

Emergency service workers attend to victims crushed in the stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage on Thursday

More than 220 rescue vehicles and some 4,000 members of the emergency services were deployed soon after the stampede to try to ease the congestion and provide alternative exit routes

Muslim pilgrims arrive to throw pebbles at pillars during the Jamarat ritual, representing the stoning of Satan, in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca

Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims make their way to cast stones at a pillar symbolising the stoning of Satan, in the last rite of the annual Hajj, on the first day of Eid al-Adha

The stampede began at around 9am (6am GMT), shortly after the civil defence service said on Twitter it was dealing with a 'crowding' incident in Mina, about three miles from Mecca

Saudi emergency personnel and Hajj pilgrims push a wounded person in a wheelchair at the site where hundreds were killed in a stampede

Investigation: Iran said at least 43 of its citizens were dead and accused Saudi Arabia of safety errors that caused the accident

A Sudanese pilgrim in Mina said this year's Hajj was the most poorly organised of four he had attended, with people 'tripping over each other'

Rescue workers treat a pilgrim after hundreds of people were crushed to death and hundreds hurt in a stampede in Saudi Arabia

A medic performs CPR on a Muslim after a stampede killed and injured hundreds of pilgrims in the holy city of Mina during the Hajj pilgrimage

Terrifying: Pictures and video revealed a horrific scene, with scores of bodies – the men dressed in the simple terry cloth garments worn during Hajj – lying amid crushed wheelchairs and water bottles along a sunbaked street

People 'were tripping all over each other', he said, adding that a Saudi companion had warned him that 'something was going to happen'.

The tragedy struck during a morning surge of pilgrims at the intersection of streets 204 and 223 as the faithful were making their way toward a large structure overlooking the columns, according to the civil defence directorate.

The multi-storey structure, known as Jamarat Bridge, is designed to ease the pressure of the crowds and prevent pilgrims from being trampled.

Na’eem Raza, from Glasgow, was making the pilgrimage for the 17th time this year.

The television presenter said that if he had followed his usual Hajj routine, he would likely have been among those injured.

‘I changed my order of performing the Hajj rituals by making Tawaf Al Ifadah last night first, then heading to the Media compound in Jamaraat before Fajr and intended to carry out the stoning later today.’

He added: ‘Just found out that over 200 people have died in a stampede at the Jamaraat during a time when I would have been in the same locality had I performed my rituals as I usually do.’

Mr Raza said that the streets had been closed to allow ambulances and doctors in to help the injured, while bodies were being removed from the scene.

Two survivors said the disaster began when one wave of pilgrims found themselves heading into a mass of people going in another direction.

‘I saw someone trip over someone in a wheelchair and several people tripping over him,’ one of the survivors, Abdullah Lotfy, 44, from Egypt told Associated Press.

The stampede began at around 9am (6am GMT) shortly after the civil defence service said on Twitter it was dealing with a 'crowding' incident

Gruesome clear-up: The civil defence service said that it was still counting the dead, who included pilgrims from different countries and that at least 863 people had also been hurt

‘People were climbing over one another just to breathe. It was like a wave. You go forward and suddenly you go back.’

Mr Lotfy added that having two flows of pilgrims interacting in this way should never have happened.

‘There was no preparation. What happened was more than they were ready for,’ he said, of the Saudi authorities.

The Interior Ministry said that the crush appears to have been caused by two waves of pilgrims meeting at the intersection.

The ministry’s spokesman, Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki, said high temperatures and the fatigue of the pilgrims may also have been factors in the disaster.

He said there was no indication that authorities were to blame for the event, adding that ‘unfortunately, these incidents happen in a moment’.

Helicopters were flying overhead and ambulances were rushing the injured to hospital, AFP reporters at the scene said.

At one hospital, a steady stream of ambulances discharged pilgrims on stretchers.

A hospital official said the incident happened outside the Jamarat Bridge structure, where the stoning takes place.

Health workers help the wounded near Saudi Arabia's holy Muslim city of Mecca after the stampede killed and injured hundreds of pilgrims

Hazard: The stampede was the deadliest disaster at the Hajj since 2006, when more than 360 pilgrims were killed in a crush in the same area

A group of pilgrims leaving the area collided with another group that was either moving in the opposite direction or camped outside, the official said.

It is not known if any of the dead are British but the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has said it is in contact with the local authorities.

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: 'My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed at the Hajj pilgrimage.'

The world's 1.5billion Muslims were marking Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, the most important holiday of the Islamic calendar.

The Hajj is among the five pillars of Islam and every capable Muslim must perform it at least once in a lifetime.

In the past, the pilgrimage was for years marred by stampedes and fires, but it had been largely incident-free for nearly a decade following safety improvements.

In January 2006, 364 pilgrims were killed in a stampede during the stoning ritual in Mina.

Thursday's ritual was taking place at a five-storey structure known as the Jamarat Bridge, which cost more than $1billion to build and was used during earlier pilgrimages.

Almost one kilometre long, it resembles a parking garage and allows 300,000 pilgrims an hour to carry out the ritual.

En masse: Nearly two million Muslims make their way to cast stones at a pillar symbolising the stoning of Satan in a ritual called Jamarat

Disaster: The tragedy happened as pilgrims converged on Mina just outside Mecca to throw pebbles (above) at one of three walls representing Satan, the symbolic 'stoning of the devil' that marks the last day of the event

The faithful had gathered until dawn on Thursday at nearby Muzdalifah where they chose their pebbles and stored them in empty water bottles

Disaster: The Hajj tragedy comes just two weeks after a crane toppled into Mecca's Grand Mosque, killing more than 100 people (above)

Struck before evening prayers: Pictures on social media show the scale of crane collapse casualties with bodies strewn across the mosque

The faithful had gathered until dawn Thursday at nearby Muzdalifah where they chose their pebbles and stored them in empty water bottles.

Yesterday, they had spent a day of prayer on a vast Saudi plain and Mount Arafat, a rocky hill about 10 kilometres from Mina, for the peak of the Hajj pilgrimage.

The flow of exhausted pilgrims was so big that Saudi security forces had to form a human chain along the roads of the vast Arafat plain while a jets of water were sprayed on the huge crowds to keep them cool amid searing heat.

Many of the faithful from around the globe camped at the foot of Mount Arafat where they slept and prayed – despite the scorching sun – at the spot where Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his final sermon.

Carrying colourful umbrellas, they walked from dawn in massive crowds towards the slippery, rocky hill which is also known as Mount Mercy.

Here they believe Mohammed gave his final sermon 14 centuries ago after leading his followers on Hajj.

Many reached Arafat by bus while some walked from the holy city of Mecca about nine miles away. Along the way, volunteers handed out boxes of food and cold water bottles.

For many pilgrims, Hajj is the spiritual highlight of their lives.

'We feel blessed. I got goosebumps, a feeling that cannot be explained, when reaching the top of the mountain,' said Ruhaima Emma, a 26-year-old Filipina pilgrim, who said she has been 'praying for a good life for everyone'.

As far as the eye can see: A view of the camp city at Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, where hundreds were killed in the stampede

Tens of thousands of Muslims defied the scorching sun to perform prayers in Arafat during the annual Hajj pilgrimage yesterday

On the move: Millions of Muslim pilgrims set off before dawn yesterday to make their way to a day of prayer at the foot of Mount Arafat

Water vapour sprays down from metal pipes to cool the crowds of tens of thousands of Muslims during their day of prayers at Arafat yesterday

Global gathering: They walked from dawn in massive crowds towards the slippery, rocky hill which is also known as Mount Mercy

Many of the faithful from around the globe camped at the foot of Mount Arafat where they slept and prayed despite the scorching sun at the spot where Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his final sermon

Taking in the view: Huge numbers were up and about before first light ahead of a day of prayer on the Plain of Arafat - nine miles from Mecca

Many reached Arafat by bus while some walked from the holy city of Mecca about nine miles away. Along the way, volunteers handed out boxes of food and cold water bottles

Many carried umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun as they performed their prayers this morning with hundreds of thousands of others

A wagon filled with fruit is stationed in the middle of a huge crowd of pilgrims as they worship at the foot of Mount Arafat

Many of the exhausted pilgrims slept at the foot of Mount Arafat (right) after walking the nine miles from Mecca with thousands of others (left)

Pilgrims believe that thi was the spot where Mohammed gave his final sermon 14 centuries ago after leading his followers on Hajj

Crowds crammed together as they prepared for a day of worship. Many were brought in by bus but thousands walked from Mecca

For Akram Ghannam, 45, from war-torn Syria, being in Arafat is a 'feeling that cannot be described. I pray to God for the victory of all those who are oppressed.'

Other pilgrims arrived from nearby Mina using the elevated Mashair Railway linking the holy sites of Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina, a tent city where many pilgrims spent Tuesday night.

This year's gathering is about the same size as last year's, with 1.4 million foreign pilgrims joining hundreds of thousands of Saudis and residents of the kingdom.

Islam requires all able-bodied Muslims to perform the Hajj once in a lifetime – and each year huge crowds are drawn to Mecca to carry out a series of rituals and prayers aimed at erasing past sins.

Pictures yesterday show newly-arrived pilgrims circling the Kaaba, the black cube-shaped structure in Mecca's Grand Mosque toward which all Muslims pray.

This year's gathering is about the same size as last year's, with 1.4 million foreign pilgrims joining hundreds of thousands of Saudis and residents of the kingdom

A day to remember: Two pilgrims used a selfie stick as they pictured themselves near Mount Arafat before dawn this morning

After sunset on Wednesday they will move to Muzdalifah where there they will gather pebbles for a symbolic stoning of the devil ritual

For many pilgrims, it is the spiritual highlight of their lives. Islam requires all able-bodied Muslims to perform the Hajj once in a lifetime

Saudi authorities deploy 100,000 police and vast numbers of stewards to ensure safety and help those who lose their way. They have also invested in expensive infrastructure, including a new urban railway, to ferry pilgrims around safely.

It comes just weeks after a crane toppled into Mecca's Grand Mosque killing more than 100 people and injuring hundreds more.

The crane which collapsed during a thunderstorm was one of several working on a multi-billion-dollar expansion of the mosque to accommodate mounting numbers of faithful.

Despite the tragedy, Saudi officials quickly vowed that the Hajj to Mecca would go ahead with thousands descending on the city.

Global gathering: Each year huge crowds are drawn to Mecca to carry out a series of rituals and prayers aimed at erasing past sins

Pictures show pilgrims circling the Kaaba, the black cube-shaped structure in Mecca's Grand Mosque toward which all Muslims pray

Once in a lifetime: Saudi officials have also invested in expensive infrastructure, including a new urban railway, to ferry pilgrims around safely

During the Hajj, pilgrims shed symbols of worldly materialism, entering a state known as 'ihram' - women forgo makeup and perfume for loose fitted clothing and a head-covering while men wear seamless terry cloth white garments.

The pilgrimage is among the five main pillars of Islam, which also include belief in the oneness of God and the Prophet Muhammad as his final messenger, five daily prayers facing toward the Kaaba, annual charity and fasting during the month of Ramadan.

Muslims believe the Hajj traces the paths of the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael and Muhammad. Pilgrims start the Hajj in Mecca, before heading to the nearby tent city of Mina, five kilometers (three miles) away.

During the Hajj, pilgrims shed symbols of worldly materialism, entering a state known as 'ihram' - women forgo makeup and perfume for loose fitted clothing and a head-covering while men wear seamless terry cloth white garments

A Muslim pilgrim cries while praying at the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, during the annual Pilgrimage, known as Hajj

A Muslim pilgrim uses an electric wheelchair to circle the Kaaba. The Hajj requires physical perseverance, finances and a coveted Hajj visa, which is limited to country-by-country quotas to manage crowd safety

In Mecca, they circle the Kaaba counterclockwise seven times, and also re-enact the path of Hagar, the wife of the patriarch Abraham, who Muslims believe ran between two hills searching for water for her dying young son.

Tradition holds that God then brought forth a spring of water that runs until this day and which Muslims drink from during the Hajj.

Since arriving to Mecca over the past several weeks, hundreds of thousands have chanted, 'Labayk Allahuma Labayk,' or 'Here I am, God, answering your call. Here I am.'

Many prayed for their deceased kin. Sadi Zawya, who lost his wife earlier year and is now raising his five children on his own was among the sea of people.

Arriving from Egypt, 62-year-old Hoda Darahim said her 35 year-old daughter died this year, and that she is now raising her two grandchildren, relying on financial help from her older sons and the small government pension she receives.

In Mecca, they circle the Kaaba counterclockwise seven times, and also re-enact the path of Hagar, the wife of the patriarch Abraham, who Muslims believe ran between two hills searching for water for her dying young son

The main day of Hajj this year falls on Wednesday, when between 2 to 3 million pilgrims gather in a valley called Arafat, packed shoulder to shoulder in prayer

Muslim pilgrims pray while touching the Kaaba. Saudi authorities deploy 100,000 police and vast numbers of stewards to ensure safety and help those who lose their way

'Her dream was to perform the Hajj,' Darahim said of her daughter. 'So I am fulfilling her wish.'

Moussa bin Abdullah Butu, a 38-year-old artist from Nigeria, said this will be his third Hajj but an especially challenging one since he lost his two-year old son, Abdullah, to a long illness earlier this year. 'In the white ihram, the rich man and the poor, we are all together,' he said.

The Hajj requires physical perseverance, finances and a coveted Hajj visa, which is limited to country-by-country quotas to manage crowd safety. Butu said he was very grateful for his visa and the opportunity to once again perform the hajj.

'I know that I am one of the people that Allah chose ... I am one of the people Allah called this year,' Butu said.

The main day of Hajj this year falls on Wednesday, when between 2 to 3 million pilgrims gather in a valley called Arafat, packed shoulder to shoulder in prayer.

It is at Arafat where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon some 1,400 years ago, calling for equality and unity among Muslims.