Iranian protesters take to the streets to blame Saudi 'incompetence' for causing the Hajj stampede which claimed the lives of 717 pilgrims

Iranian protesters take to the streets to blame Saudi 'incompetence' for causing the Hajj stampede which claimed the lives of 717 pilgrims
Saudi king orders probe into disaster which happened when two giant waves of Muslims collided near holy site
Pilgrims and Muslim groups have accused the Saudi authorities of presiding over a raft of safety blunders

One survivor said: 'The police had closed all entrances and exits to the pilgrims' camp, leaving only one'
Another critic said police were not properly trained and lacked language skills to deal with foreign pilgrims
Thousands of Iranian protesters took to the streets today to denounce the 'incompetence' of Saudi Arabia's handling of the Hajj pilgrimage where more than 719 people were killed in a stampede.
The horrific crush, which also left hundreds wounded, happened when two giant waves of Muslims collided at an intersection near a holy site in Mina.
Saudi health Minister Khaled al-Falih blamed victims for the disaster for failing to follow instructions, adding: 'This type of accident could have been avoided. However, this is God's will.'
But pilgrims and Muslim groups hit back angrily at the claims, accusing Saudi officials of closing two key roads so dignitaries could reach a palace.
Regional rival Iran also expressed outrage at the deaths of 131 of its nationals, with politicians in Tehran suggesting that Saudi capital Riyadh was ‘incapable’ of managing the event.
Mohammed Jafari, an advisor to the Hajj and Umrah Travel tour operator in the UK, said: 'Talking to pilgrims on the ground, they say the main reason for this accident was that the King and his palace was receiving dignitaries including the minister of defence and members of the GCC (the Gulf Co-operation Council).
'For this reason, they closed two of the entrances to where the ('stoning of the devil' ritual) happens and they closed two roads... which created two bottlenecks.
'It is the fault of the Saudi government because any time a prince comes along, they close the roads and don't think about the disaster waiting to happen.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3248647/Saudi-health-minister-blames-PILGRIMS-Hajj-stampede-left-700-people-dead-saying-followed-instructions-avoided.html#ixzz3mv1yMUs5