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Towering Crane Collapses on Mecca’s Grand Mosque

At least 107 people are dead and hundreds more are wounded after a crane collapsed Friday at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

By: Hana Levi Julian

Published: September 13th, 2015

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Pilgrims circling the Ka'aba in the Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Mosque in Mecca, during the annual Hajj.
Photo Credit: Mardetanha

At least 107 people died Friday in Saudi Arabia at the holiest site in Islam, when a towering construction crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

Authorities estimated the number of injured to be at least 238 as of Saturday.

The crane toppled over during a violent rainstorm, a disaster which came just ahead of the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage which starts later this month.

About the Author: Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for Babble.com, Chabad.org and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.