More than 700 dead and over 850 injured is the sickening death toll following a stampede near Mecca during the Hajj religious festival.

The Hajj is the world’s largest annual gathering of people and there have been regular accidents in Mecca, despite the Saudi authorities spending billions to improve infrastructure.

The Saudi Health Minister said pilgrims failing to follow instructions had been the main cause of the tragedy, the worst in Mecca for a quarter-century.

Security at the Hajj is a politically sensitive issue for Saudi Arabia, the guardians of the Islamic world’s most sacred sites.
AFP