The deadliest crane collapse in recorded history, killing 111 people at Islam's holiest mosque during Hajj preparations.
Key Facts
- Deaths
- 111 people
- Injured
- 394 people
- Time of collapse
- 5:10 p.m. local time
- Nationalities of victims
- 12 nationalities
- Largest death contingent
- 25 Bangladeshis, 23 Egyptians
- Individuals tried (Aug 2016)
- 14 people
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The crane collapse at Masjid al-Haram resulted from a combination of human error and forceful winds. Mecca was in a period of major construction activity ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, with the Saudi Binladin Group serving as the primary contractor overseeing work at the holy site.
On 11 September 2015, at approximately 5:10 p.m., a crawler crane operated by the Saudi Binladin Group collapsed onto the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, killing 111 people and injuring 394 others across twelve nationalities.
King Salman ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered a halt to awarding new contracts to the Saudi Binladin Group. In August 2016, 14 individuals were put on trial, while prosecutors declined to charge 42 others under investigation, including 16 members of the Bin Laden family. The incident is cited as the deadliest crane collapse in history.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 111 (other)