SAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI ARABIA INCREASING SECURITY TO PREVENT REPEAT OF STAMPEDE IN CROWD WHICH CRUSHED 244 PILGRIMS TO DEATH AT MENA

Record ID: 189792

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: SAUDI ARABIA INCREASING SECURITY TO PREVENT REPEAT OF STAMPEDE IN CROWD WHICH CRUSHED 244 PILGRIMS TO DEATH AT MENA
  • Date: 2nd February 2004
  • Summary: (W5) MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA (FEBRUARY 2004 ) (REUTERS- ACCESS ALL) 1. AERIALS OF MECCA GRAND MOSQUE WITH PILGRIMS 0.10 (W5) MENA, SAUDI ARABIC (FEBRUARY 02, 2004) (REUTERS) 2. SLV PILGRIMS TRAVELLING IN TOP OF MINIBUS 0.17 3. SLV ILLEGAL PILGRIMS IN TENT CAMPS 0.23 4. CLOSE OF PILGRIM READING NEWSPAPER 0.26 5. SMV ILLEGAL PILGRIMS SLEEPING BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD 0.35 6. SLV PEOPLE WALKING DOWN STREET 0.42 7. SLV /PAN TENTS ERECTED IN SIDE OF ROAD 0.52 8. VARIOUS, OF TRUCKS LINED OUTSIDE CIVIL DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS IN MENA (2 SHOTS) 1.00 9. WIDE OF INTERIOR OF CONTROL ROOM INSIDE HQ. WITH PEOPLE LOOKING AT MONITORS 1.06 10. VARIOUS OF MONITORS SHOWING PILGRIMS (2 SHOTS) 1.16 11. VARIOUS OF SAUDI OFFICERS LOOKING AT SCREENS AND MAPS 1.25 12. CLOSE OF MAP 1.29 13. WIDE OF CONTROL ROOM WITH MONITORS 1.34 14. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BRIGADIER MOHAMMED BIN ABDALLAH SAYING: "Here in this master control room of the civil defence we are implementing the civil defence plan and we have complete control over all the services that we are supplying by looking at everything in this room, we can see all the stages of the movement of the pilgrims to all the holy sites from the capital to Mena." 2.02 15. WIDE OF MORE OF THE MONITORS 2.06 16. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BIN ABDALLAH SAYING: "We ask the mighty god that every pilgrim stays away from any harm knowing that the pilgrims here we have supplied them with services and security which made this haj successful." 2.23 17. LV OF PILGRIMS AT MENA 2.29 18. HAV CROWD WITH SECURITY (AUDIO OF SIRENS OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES) 2.34 19. HAV LINE OF SECURITY TRYING TO SEPARATE CROWD 2.39 20. SLV LINE OF AMBULANCES/ PILGRIMS 2.44 21. HAV CROWDS AT SITE 2.50 22. WIDE OF RELIGIOUS SITE AT MENA WITH LINE OF SECURITY 2.55 23. HAV OF PILGRIMS THROWING STONES AT PILLAR 3.00 24. WIDE OF PILGRIMS THROWING STONES AT PILLAR 3.05 25. SMV PILGRIMS PUSHING IN ATTEMPT TO THROW STONES 3.11 26. SLV LINE OF SECURITY TRYING TO SEPARATE AND CONTROL CROWD 3.14 27. VARIOUS OF PILGRIMS THROWING STONES AT PILLAR (4 SHOTS) 3.33 28. CLOSE OF ROAD SIGN INDICATING STONE THROWING SITE 3.37 29. LV PILGRIMS AT SITE 3.44 14. CROWD OF PILGRIMS BEING SEPARATED BY POLICE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 17th February 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MECCA AND MENA, SAUDI ARABIA
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Reuters ID: LVA5I706UNZQK8A3X7W2D88286VO
  • Story Text: Saudi authorities use drastic measures to stop a
    repeat of a stampede in which 244 pilgrims were crushed to
    death.




    Saudi police blared warnings via megaphones while
    helicopters hovered in the sky on Monday (February 02) to
    try to avert a fresh disaster at the haj pilgrimage, one
    day after 244 pilgrims were crushed to death in a stampede.

    Most pilgrims were largely unperturbed by the stampede
    and thousands of Muslims stoned a pillar representing the
    devil, the site where pilgrims were crushed to death on
    Sunday at the climax of the haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

    Saudi police urged pilgrims via megaphones against
    pushing and helicopters kept watch on the site to help
    control the surging crowd which returned to the pillars
    which believers say marks the spot where the devil appeared
    to Abraham.

    Many pilgrims were being cautious, standing back from
    the crowd and approaching the pillars slowly.

    The 244 victims, mainly from Indonesia, Pakistan and
    other Asian nations, were killed in a stampede at the
    ritual that has in the past witnessed similar tragedies.

    Authorities had tried to avert crushes this year by urging
    people to perform the ritual at different times. Indian
    pilgrim Mohammed Seif, who complained that some pilgrims
    were still aggressively pushing their way to the pillars,
    said that he was not frightened but added that you had to
    be careful. He pointed out that people did not have to
    congregate at the pillar all at once.

    Sunday's disaster occurred after some people collapsed
    as a two-million strong crowd surged towards the Jamarat
    Bridge in Mena to throw stones at pillars representing the
    devil.


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