Binladin Group blamed for Mecca crane deaths

Saudi Arabia blamed the construction giant Saudi Binladin Group for the collapse of a crane at Mecca last week ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage.

An investigative committee concluded that the company "was in part responsible" for Friday's tragedy, which killed at least 107 people and injured almost 400 during a severe thunderstorm accompanied by violent winds. Saudis, Iranians, Nigerians, Malaysians, Indonesians and Indians were among the dead.

Royal decree

A royal decree from King Salman said the Binladin Group should not have left the crane's arm up when it was not in use. Investigators found that the crane was allegedly "in a wrong position" when high winds struck, as its main arm should have been lowered, the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The royal decree also blamed the group for not using up-to-date safety measures and failing to coordinate with meteorological officials.

The firm's executives have been forbidden from leaving the kingdom pending the completion of legal action against the company, SPA added. The company would also be excluded from new public projects until the case was closed.

According to the Saudi Binladin Group website, the company had previously worked on numerous prominent projects in Saudi Arabia including al-Faisaliah Tower in central Riyadh, the King Abdullah Financial District, various universities and the King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah.

No comment from Binladin Group

The Binladin Group did not release a statement about the crane collapse. An engineer with the Saudi Binladin Group told the AFP news agency that what had happened was an "act of God" and not the result of a technical fault.

"I can only say that what happened was beyond the power of humans. It was an act of God and, to my knowledge, there was no human fault in it at all," said the engineer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Binladin Group heads a massive construction effort around Mecca's Grand Mosque. The Binladin family has had close ties to Saudi Arabia's ruling family for decades. Al Qaeda's late leader, Osama bin Laden, was a renegade son disowned by the family.

Compensation and pilgrimage

King Salman also ordered 1 million riyals (236,650 euros, $267,000) be paid to the relatives of those killed and the same amount to those permanently injured. Others injured were to receive half that amount. The Health Ministry said on Sunday that 394 people were treated after the collapse, and 158 remained hospitalized.

The crash came just days before millions of people are due to arrive in the kingdom for the hajj pilgrimage, which is required at least once in the life of every able-bodied Muslim. It was the worst accident in a decade surrounding the hajj, which is due to begin next Tuesday and is expected to draw about 2 million faithful from around the world.

ss/sms (AP, AFP, dpa)