GettyAt least 107 people were killed and 238 injured when a huge crane collapsed and crashed through the roof of Islam’s most holy site in Mecca.
Construction workers were attempting to make the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) in Saudi Arabia safer when violent rainstorms and strong winds brought down the crane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqxwoQLpC0A
Footage shows the horrifying moment when the crane toppled towards a three-storey section of the mosque complex and smashed through the roof.
Tons of rubble and debris fell onto the hundreds of worshippers gathered inside the Grand Mosque for 6.30pm prayers on Friday evening.
EPAThe aftermath of the scene was one of absolute devastation, with police and onlookers attending to numerous bodies strewn around the blood covered mosque floor.
Casualty numbers continue to rise and the nationalities of those caught up in the disaster were uncertain last night. The Foreign Office is making enquiries to establish if any Britons died or were injured in the disaster.
1000s of British people are undertaking #Hajj and we hope they are safe tonight as tragedy in #Makkah unfolds. Prayers for all the victims
— MCB (@MuslimCouncil) September 11, 2015
Saudi Arabia has begun an investigation into why the incident happened and to assess the damage, following previous concerns about safety records on construction sites in the nation.
The tragedy comes just weeks before millions of visiting Hajj pilgrims are expected to visit Mecca.
