Dozens of pilgrims die in hotel collapse

cctv.com 01-06-2006 08:52

A five-story hotel has collapsed in Saudi Arabia's Mecca. This, as millions of Muslims converge on Islam's holiest city for the annual Haj pilgrimage. Arab television network Al-Jazeera reports at least 23 people were killed and 60 others injured, although exact numbers are yet to be confirmed.

Emergency workers are searching the rubble for survivors. Security officials say most of the victims were Arabs from Egypt, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates. The hotel is about 60 meters from the Grand Mosque, which encloses the Kaaba, a large cubic stone structure that Muslims around the world face during prayer. The Prophet Mohammed was born in Mecca, and the number of Haj pilgrims to the city has increased eleven-fold over the past 15 years. But the massive gathering has been hit by several tragedies in recent years. The worst was in 1990, when nearly 1,500 pilgrims were killed in a stampede.

Editor:Wang Ping  Source:CCTV.com