Sixty-five people have been killed and 154 wounded in Makkah’s Grand Mosque after a crane collapsed on Friday, Al Arabiya News Channel reported citing the Saudi Civil Defense authority.

It is believed the crane collapsed in high winds.

The Saudi civil defense Twitter account said 15 search and rescue teams were at the scene, transporting the wounded to hospital.

Pictures circulating on social media showed pilgrims in bloodied robes and masses of debris from a part of the crane that seemed to have crashed through a ceiling.

The Emir of Makkah Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has commissioned a committee to investigate the cause of the deadly collapse.

News of the collapse came about an hour after civil defense tweeted that Mecca was “witnessing medium to heavy rains.”

The incident occurred as hundreds of thousands of Muslims are due to gather from around the world for the annual hajj pilgrimage set to begin later this month.

The collapsed crane

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