News CommentaryFriday, 13 January 2006 08:37 am
345 killed in pilgrim stampede
From 345 killed in pilgrim stampede – Top stories – Breaking News 24/7 – NEWS.com.au:
At least 345 Muslim pilgrims were crushed to death overnight during a stoning ritual on the last day of the hajj, the worst tragedy to beset the sacred ritual in more than a decade.
When you have 2.5 million pilgrims squeezed into areas that were not meant to hold that many ppl, this will always happen. No matter how many security guards or crowd control you throw at this problem, ppl will continue to die every year during the Hajj.
A first step would be to reduce the number of ppl that can perform the Hajj. Saudi Arabia allocates quotas for all countries. These quotas should be reduced across the board because ppl will be ppl.
The only consolation is that these ppl died doing what they believed to be the holiest act in their lives.
8 Responses to “345 killed in pilgrim stampede”
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this is not something we could call *die at good-course*
true – unneccesary deaths are never a good thing.
Believe it or not, this stampede happens every year.
Actually, what really adds to the problem is that some people are really… erm… enthusiastic.
Let me explain (feel free to correct me): the stoning ritual is when people are meant to pick up small pebbles and throw them at these pillars which represent the devil.
Unfortunately, according to my mum (who’s been to Mecca several times), some people get a bit too enthusiastic/riled up and throw other things as well – shoes, umbrellas, whatever they can get their hands on.
starry: yup I know that ppl die every yr doing the Hajj. And I know about the misc. items thrown too. I’ve seen it on TV.
In the news story I quoted the problem was also caused by too many ppl wanting to do the “main” stoning right after lunch as opposed to it being spread out during the day as advised by the imams – because they wanted to follow Mohammed’s footsteps exactly.
Stampede or fire, ppls dies every single year in their pilgrim…
And you can’t tell them to stay home, so how?
Only way is to break them up in smaller groups… but how to?
It’s not like a big party where you can offer them diff location… or send them in by batches… or spread it over diff dates…
emiryo: yes it’s difficult as you’ve mentioned.
the first step is definitely to reduce the *total* number of ppl that go there every year. Your idea of sending them in by batches should theoretically work if they have enough police/soldiers controlling the crowd. But we are talking about millions of ppl here.
*sigh* Oh well.
I know how liao… Do it the S’pore way, when not enough space, go vertical.
Build a 40 stories arena like platforms building that surround the whole area. Each person get 8x3ft area to set tent and pray in. They have to pay a high price and book in advance of’coz.
Machum Starwars council/hairy porter’s quidditch stadium.
Those without $$$ will have to pray to the big screen TV outside the area.
That way you can make $$$ and separate a huge part of the crowd.
Wahahaa can work leh.
It’s not just the praying though. They need to perform the ritual stoning and that’s where the deaths usually occur because of too many ppl crowding the central monument.
Imagine if you trip and fall, the thousands of ppl behind you won’t just suddenly stop walking … human pancake.