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Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz arrives at the crash site.

Saudi Arabia reviews building safety after crane crash

RIYADH, September 14, 2015

Saudi Arabian authorities have started examining the safety standards of construction equipment at the Grand Mosque in Makkah after a huge crane collapsed there, killing 107 people.

“The contractor in charge has been asked to ensure safety standards in all cranes at the site under the supervision of a specialised team,” said Hesham Al Faleh, the head of governmental agency for Makkah development.

Authorities said Friday that the crane had crashed in a courtyard outside the mosque due to a severe rainstorm. It was one of several working on a multi-billion-dollar expansion of the mosque to accommodate the mounting numbers of pilgrims.

In another development, the region's governor Prince Khaled Al Faisal today filed an investigative report, official media said.

Prince Faisal had ordered a probe as soon as the tragedy struck.

He sent the findings to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef for presentation to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, said the report, without disclosing any contents.

King Salman vowed yesterday to reveal what caused the crane to topple into a courtyard of the Grand Mosque, where hundreds of thousands of Muslims have converged ahead of the hajj pilgrimage later this month.

"We will investigate all the reasons and afterwards declare the results to the citizens," King Salman said after visiting the site, one of Islam's holiest.

Parts of the Grand Mosque remained sealed off around the wreckage of the crane, which also injured around 200 people when it crashed into a courtyard.




Tags: Saudi Arabia | Makkah | building | Safety | Crane |

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