At least 717 people have been killed in a stampede at the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia's civil defence directorate said, as the death toll continued to rise. <br /> <br />The directorate said at least 863 other pilgrims were injured in Thursday's stampede, which took place in Mina, on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca. <br /> <br />The injured have been evacuated to four different hospitals in the Mina region, according to a civil defence spokesman. <br /> <br />Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, ordered a probe into how the tragedy had occured. <br /> <br />Nayef, who chairs the Saudi hajj committee, ordered the probe during a meeting with senior officials responsible for the pilgrimage in Mina, where the stampede took place. <br /> <br />The findings of the investigation will be submitted to King Salman, "who will take appropriate measures" in response, the Saudi Press agency said. <br /> <br /> Mina is where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. It also houses more than 160,000 tents where pilgrims spend the night during the pilgrimage. <br /> <br />Al Jazeera's Basma Atassi, reporting from Mina, said the incident took place in a street between pilgrim camps. <br /> <br />"The street where it happened is named Street 204. This stampede did not happen at the site of the 'stoning of the devil' ritual, which was happening today. <br /> <br />"During and after the stampede the pilgrims continued to flock into Mina to perform the devil stoning ritual." <br /> <br />Where the stampede took place. pic.twitter.com/UprkxcaAk5 <br /> <br />— Basma Atassi | بسمة (@Basma_) September 24, 2015 <br />Amateur video shared on social media showed a horrific scene, with scores of bodies - the men dressed in the simple terry cloth garments worn during Hajj - lying alongside crushed wheelchairs and water bottles. <br /> <br />The head of the Central Hajj Committee, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, blamed the stampede on "some pilgrims from African nationalities," Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV channel reported. <br /> <br />Iranian authorities have said that at least 43 Iranian nationals were killed in the stampede. <br /> <br />The directorate said at least 863 other pilgrims were injured in Thursday's stampede, which took place in Mina, on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca. <br /> <br />The injured have been evacuated to four different hospitals in the Mina region, according to a civil defence spokesman. <br /> <br />Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, ordered a probe into how the tragedy had occured. <br /> <br />Nayef, who chairs the Saudi hajj committee, ordered the probe during a meeting with senior officials responsible for the pilgrimage in Mina, where the stampede took place. <br /> <br />The findings of the investigation will be submitted to King Salman, "who will take appropriate measures" in response, the Saudi Press agency said. <br /> <br /> Mina is where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. It also houses more than 160,000 tents where pilgrims spend the night during the pilgrimage. <br /> <br />Al Jazeera's Basma Atassi, reporting from Mina, said the incident took place in a street between pilgrim camps. <br /> <br />"The street where it happened is named Street 204. This stampede did not happen at the site of the 'stoning of the devil' ritual, which was happening today. <br /> <br />"During and after the stampede the pilgrims continued to flock into Mina to perform the devil stoning ritual." <br /> <br />Where the stampede took place. pic.twitter.com/UprkxcaAk5 <br /> <br />— Basma Atassi | بسمة (@Basma_) September 24, 2015 <br />Amateur video shared on social media showed a horrific scene, with scores of bodies - the men dressed in the simple terry cloth garments worn during Hajj - lying alongside crushed wheelchairs and water bottles. <br /> <br />The head of the Central Hajj Committee, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, blamed the stampede on "some pilgrims from African nationalities," Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV channel reported. <br /> <br />Iranian authorities have said that at least 43 Iranian nationals were killed in the stampede.
