Muslim pilgrims walks on a bridge as they head to cast stones at pillars symbolizing Satan during the annual haj pilgrimage in Mina, on the second day of Eid al-Adha, near the holy city of Mecca September 25, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood
DUBAI/RIYADH (Reuters) - Pilgrims reported feeling the hands of their relatives slip away into the crowd on Thursday morning when a crush at the Mina camp in Mecca killed at least 769 in the deadliest haj disaster in a generation.
Saudi Arabia has spent billions of dollars on making the world's biggest gathering of people safe. For nine years, there had been no major disasters at the haj, a much lauded success after a period from 1990-2006 when crowd crushes and fires that killed hundreds of people took place every 2-3 years.
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