Crane collapse in Mecca raises fresh safety worries

A winch crane has collapsed near the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia and left one person injured, raising fresh worries about the safety of pilgrims who visit the site from around the world.

The incident on Sunday came during Ramadan, the most sacred month for Muslims, when the Grand Mosque is among the most crowded places in the world, with tens of thousands performing minor Umrah pilgrimage or praying there.

The Saudi Press Agency quoted officials as saying that the accident took place in a worksite in the mosque that was far away from the path of worshipers and visitors.

It cited overloading of the machinery as the cause of the incident in which the arm of the crane collapsed at the construction site.

The accident revived bitter memories of a crane collapse at the Grand Mosque in 2015, which left at least 107 pilgrims dead and more than 230 others injured.

It forced the Saudi Binladen Group to stop expansion projects in the mosque compound for two years.

SS