President Tony Tan sends condolences over Mecca crane collapse

SINGAPORE — President Tony Tan Keng Yam today (Sept 13) sent his condolences to the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman Abdulaziz Saud, following the crane collapse in Mecca that killed 107 people.

“I am greatly saddened to learn of the tragic loss of lives and injuries to pilgrims caused by the crane accident at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Sept 11, 2015,” Dr Tan said in his letter.

“On behalf of the people of Singapore, I extend our deepest and heartfelt condolences to Your Majesty and the people of Saudi Arabia. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families during this difficult time. We also hope for the speedy recovery for those who are injured.”

The President added: “I am fully confident that the Saudi Haj authorities will overcome this tragedy and do its best to ensure the safety of the millions of pilgrims who are visiting Makkah for the annual Haj pilgrimage.”

King Salman had yesterday vowed to find out what caused the crane to collapse at Mecca’s Grand Mosque ahead of the pilgrimage.

Saudi officials have said strong winds and heavy rains caused the crane to fall, adding that the disaster will not prevent the Haj from going ahead.

The storm that roared through Islam’s holiest city late on Friday afternoon was the deadliest in years surrounding the Haj, which gets under way in full later this month. Images shared on social media showed a horrifying scene. The crane boom pierced through the roof of the mosque, bringing down slabs of reinforced concrete and leaving bodies lying amid pools of blood on the polished floors, as frightened survivors screamed in panic.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesman said yesterday that the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore’s representatives in Mecca have confirmed that the Singaporean pilgrims under their charge are safe.

“As of now, there are no reports of any Singaporean casualties. The MFA will continue to keep in close contact with Singaporeans in the Kingdom and monitor developments closely,” the spokesman added. AGENCIES