14 January 2006 Hundreds die in pilgrimage stampede
Hundreds of people have been killed at a stampede during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
One Briton was among the dead, the Foreign Office confirmed today.
At least 345 people were crushed as crowds rushed to hurl stones at the three pillars which represent the spot where the devil is said to have appeared to Abraham.
It is thought that the stampede, which took place at the foot of the Jamarat Bridge in Mina, occurred after a group of pilgrims tried to carry large amounts of luggage through the crowds and fell, triggering the rush.
"What happened is that more than 12 people were carrying a large amount of baggage on their backs, so when it became too crowded they fell on the ground one on top of the other," the Crown Prince Sultan told Saudi Arabia's leading newspaper.
"People kept falling one on top of the other until about 300 people died."
Around 25,000 Britons are thought to have taken part in the pilgrimage to Mecca, which in previous years has led to hundreds of deaths through similar tragedies. 
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