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Hostel falls during Islam's pilgrimage

MECCA, Saudi Arabia - With spotlights, cameras and microphones, rescuers searched for survivors of an eight-story building collapse that killed at least 20 people Thursday, the latest tragedy to mar the annual gathering of millions of Muslims in Islam's holiest city.

The Interior Ministry said 59 people were injured, but nobody knew how many more were trapped in the rubble of Lulu'at al-Khair, which served as a hostel during pilgrimages to the nearby Grand Mosque, a focal point of the hajj.

"The rescue operations are still ongoing," an Interior Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki, said late Thursday, about nine hours after the collapse.

"Fortunately the building was almost empty when it collapsed, because most of the residents were in the holy shrine at that time," civil defense Maj. Gen. Alwani, who did not provide his first name, told government-run Al-Ekhbariya television. "Most of the casualties were from the passers-by near the building."

Neighboring buildings were evacuated as a precaution, the network reported.

The victims were believed to have come from several countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.

The courtyard of the Grand Mosque encloses the Kaaba, a large cubic stone structure that Muslims face during their five daily prayers.

The Prophet Mohammed was born in Mecca, and the Grand Mosque is central to the Muslim faith and the hajj.

Islam's five pillars demand that followers profess there is one god and Mohammed is his prophet, pray five times daily, give alms, fast daily during the holy month of Ramadan, and - if financially able - travel to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

The number of pilgrims to Mecca has increased elevenfold over the past 15 years. During that time, the Saudi government spent billions of dollars to improve accommodations, transportation and medical facilities for the "guests of Allah."

The gathering has been hit with tragedies frequently in recent years.

The worst hajj-related tragedy occurred in 1990 when 1,426 pilgrims were killed in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in Mecca.

In 2004, on the final day of the ceremonies, 251 people were trampled to death when the crowd panicked during the ritual stoning of the devil. Three years earlier, 35 hajj pilgrims were killed in a stampede at the same ceremony.

[Last modified January 6, 2006, 01:05:09]