Graphic images of victims of the Mecca stampede

  At least 717 people were killed today and over 800 others injured in a stampede in Mina outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca on Thursday in Saudi Arabia.

The tragedy occurred when close to 3 million pilgrims were observing this year’s hajj.It happened when many of them that spent the night in the plain fields of Muzdalifa began trooping to the Jamarat as early as 3am local time.

In a statement released by Saudi Arabia’s civil defense directorate on Twitter, medical teams are trying to sort out the injured victims while more than 220 rescue vehicles and ambulances have been deployed to the scene.

 

Aid workers are currently evacuating the dead bodies and also conveying injured victims to hospitals.

 

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