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2015 Mina stampede facts for kids

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The way to Jamarat Bridge 3.JPG
The way to Jamaraat Bridge (2011)
Date 24 September 2015 (2015-09-24)
Time 09:00 AST (UTC+03:00)
Location Mina, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Cause Disputed
Deaths Estimates:
2,411 (AP)
2,070 (Reuters)
2,236 (AFP)
2,431 (Total/National)
769 (Saudi government)

On September 24, 2015, a very sad event happened in Mina, a place near Mecca in Saudi Arabia. During the yearly Hajj pilgrimage, a large crowd of people became too packed together. This led to a dangerous situation called a crowd crush.

More than 2,000 people died in this event. It became the deadliest Hajj disaster ever recorded. Different news groups reported slightly different numbers of deaths. For example, the Associated Press said about 2,411 people died. Agence France-Presse reported around 2,236 deaths.

When we add up reports from different countries, at least 2,431 people died. However, the government of Saudi Arabia officially reported 769 deaths. They also said 934 people were hurt. These numbers were not updated later. Most of the people who died were from Iran, followed by Mali and Nigeria.

What Happened?

The crowd crush happened in Mina. It was at a spot where two streets, 204 and 223, met. These streets lead to the Jamaraat Bridge. The exact reason for the disaster is still not fully clear.

This event caused more tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran. These two countries already had disagreements. The disaster happened during a time of other conflicts in the Middle East. These included the Syrian Civil War and the Yemeni Civil War.

On the day of the incident, a spokesperson for the Saudi Ministry of Interior, Mansour Al-Turki, spoke about it. He said that an investigation was happening. He also mentioned that they had not yet found the exact cause of the overcrowding.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Estampida de La Meca de 2015 para niños

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