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Bolton father among dead in Mecca crane collapse

A father-of-four from Bolton was among the 107 people killed in Saudi Arabia when a crane collapsed onto the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

Tributes have been paid to Qasim Akram who was killed hours after arriving in the city ahead of his first pilgrimage to the holy city.

Mr Akram, who was believed to be 32 and a private hire driver, had been in the Grand Mosque with his parents some 50 yards ahead of them when the crane struck the mosque which is Islam's holiest site.

His parents, Mr and Mrs Mohammad Akram, are believed to have escaped without injury.

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Saudi Arabia: Storm caused crane to fall on Grand Mosque

Saudi Authorities have tweeted these images from the site. Credit: @KSA_998/Twitter

An intense storm appears to be the cause of the crane collapse at Mecca's Grand Mosque, authorities in Saudi Arabia have said.

The country's civil defence authority said on Twitter that high winds caused the accident in which at least 87 people died and almost 200 were injured.

The Grand Mosque is Islam's holiest site and will welcome millions of pilgrims on the annual Hajj in two weeks time.

Saudi emergency services gather at the Grand Mosque. Credit: @KSA_998/Twitter

Earlier, amateur footage has apparently captured the moment the huge crane fell onto the Grand Mosque.

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