AT least 717 people were killed and hundreds were injured in a stampede Thursday at the annual hajj pilgrimage, Saudi authorities said.

    The crush happened in Mina, a large valley about 5 km from the holy city of Mecca that has been the site of hajj stampedes in past years. Mina is where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. It also houses more than 160,000 tents where pilgrims spend the night during the pilgrimage.

    The Saudi civil defense directorate said at least 805 other pilgrims were injured in the stampede on Street 204 in Mina.

    Some 2 million people are taking part in this year’s hajj pilgrimage, which began Tuesday.

    Saudi authorities take extensive precautions to ensure the security of the hajj and the safety of pilgrims. But tragedies are not uncommon.

    The stampede was the deadliest disaster at the hajj since 2006, when more than 360 pilgrims were killed in a stampede in the same area. Another stampede at Mina in 2004 left 244 pilgrims dead and hundreds injured.

    Thursday’s stampede happened less than two weeks after a giant construction crane came crashing down on the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the focal point of the hajj.

    That accident Sept. 11 killed at least 111 people and injured more than 390. Authorities blamed the crane collapse on high winds during an unusually powerful storm.(SD-Agencies)