Mina (Hajj) (2015): Case Study & Safety Analysis
Two rivers of people, moving at the same time, met at a single intersection. It became the deadliest crowd disaster in history.
Background & Historical Context
The Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that every able Muslim is expected to make at least once in their lifetime — one of the largest gatherings of humanity on Earth, with two to three million pilgrims. The crush happened during the 'stoning of the devil' ritual at Mina, where pilgrims throw pebbles at pillars over a set period. Pilgrims of every nationality, age and level of physical ability move through the same rites at the same times, often in extreme desert heat — which makes managing the flow uniquely difficult, and means a failure affects a vast, devout and very mixed crowd.
Mina (Hajj)
Two rivers of people, moving at the same time, met at a single intersection. It became the deadliest crowd disaster in history.
Continue Learning: Astroworld (2021)
The crowd was dangerously compacted hours before the headliner. Staff were pulling out unconscious people - and the show kept going.