MENA, Saudi Arabia - A stampede broke out today during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, killing 35 Muslims during the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual.
The official Saudi Press Agency said 23 women and 12 men were killed and an unknown number of people were injured. No trace of the tragedyremained hours after it occurred. The enormous crowd was calm, with many unaware of the deaths.
Security and safety have been major concerns at the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage that is a pillar of the Islamic faith. The Hajj, which began this weekend, must be performed once in a lifetime by every Muslim who is able to do so.
The "stoning the devil" has been a source of tragedy in the past. A 1998 stampede killed 180 people. A 1997 fire in Mina, the city where the stoning takes place, tore through the sprawling, overcrowded tent city, trapping and killing more than 340 pilgrims and injuring 1,500. In 1994, a stampede killed 270 pilgrims. The most deadly Hajj–related tragedy was a 1990 stampede in which 1,426 pilgrims were killed.
Pilgrims come to Mina from Mecca to cast pebbles the size of peas at three columns of stone that symbolize the devil as they chant, "In the name of God, God is great."
