Fury as Saudi's hajj chief blames African pilgrims for stampede that killed 700

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The head of committee which oversees the hajj pilgrimage sparks outrage over comments blaming worshippers
Saudi Prince Khaled al-Faisal reportedly blamed the stampede on 'some pilgrims with African nationalities'
It comes as country's top religious cleric, Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh, says disaster was beyond human control
Tehran has also stepped up its criticism of Saudi authorities, saying they are incapable of handling the event

Published: 08:35 EST, 26 September 2015 | Updated: 11:21 EST, 26 September 2015

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The head of the committee which oversees the hajj pilgrimage has sparked outrage by blaming pilgrims of 'African nationalities' for the stampede which killed more than 700 people.

In what was the worst disaster in a quarter-century to strike the annual event, 769 people died two days ago when the stampede broke out in Mina, about three miles from Mecca, during the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual.

The inflammatory comments come as authorities were heavily criticised for a perceived lapse in safety measures at what is one of the world's largest pilgrimages.

Horrific: Saudi emergency personnel stand near bodies of hajj pilgrims at the site where at least 769 were killed in a stampede

The disaster, which also left several hundred people wounded, occurred when two waves of Muslims collided near a holy site in Mina

Walking among the dead: A pilgrim mourns for those who died as he steps between covered bodies on the streets of Mina yesterday

A man comforts Pakistan's former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, third from left, who lost his nephew in a crush during the hajj

Adding further offence, Saudi Arabia's top religious leader has now stated the disaster was beyond human control.

According to various news outlets, Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV reported that the head of the central Hajj committee, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, blamed the stampede on 'some pilgrims with African nationalities'.

The comment provoked a storm of condemnation, with critics describing it as 'more obscene than racism' while others said authorities should focus on determining what went wrong, rather than blaming ethnic groups.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh has told Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef: 'You are not responsible for what happened', the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

He added: 'As for the things that humans cannot control, you are not blamed for them. Fate and destiny are inevitable.'

Mohammed chairs the Saudi hajj committee and has ordered an investigation into Thursday's stampede during a symbolic stoning of the devil ritual by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims at Jamarat Bridge in Mina, just outside the holy city of Mecca.

King Salman, whose official title is 'Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' in Mecca and Medina, also ordered 'a revision' of how the hajj is organised.

Dozens of people tweeted their concerns that it was suggested pilgrims from Africa were to blame for the deadly stampede

Today groups of pilgrims were moving from early morning towards Jamarat Bridge for the last of three stoning days. The interior ministry has said it assigned 100,000 police to secure the hajj and manage crowds.

But pilgrims blamed the stampede on police road closures and poor management of the flow of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in searing temperatures.

Abdullah al-Sheikh, chairman of the Shura Council, an appointed body which advises the government, stressed that pilgrims must stick to 'the rules and regulations taken by the security personnel... In doing so they protect their lives, their security and facilitate their performing of the rituals.'

In comments carried late Friday by SPA, the Shura chairman called on citizens and Muslims to ignore 'the biased campaigns carried out by the enemies of this pure country, to question the great efforts exerted by the kingdom to serve the holy sites, their construction and expansion, and to serve the visitors and pilgrims.'

Bodies of hundreds of dead and injured pilgrims lie strewn across the floor after they were caught up in a horrific stampede in Saudi Arabia

Muslim pilgrims start moving towards the Jamarat stations to take part in the stoning of the devil ritual yesterday

Riyadh's regional rival Iran said 131 of its nationals were among the victims, and yesterday stepped up its criticism of the kingdom

An aerial view of the pilgrimage site shows tens of thousands of tents hosting pilgrims in Mina near the holy city of Mecca

Several African countries confirmed deaths in the stampede, as did India, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Netherlands

Riyadh's regional rival Iran said 131 of its nationals were among the victims, and yesterday stepped up its criticism of the kingdom, demanding that affected countries have a role in the Saudi investigation into the disaster.

'Saudi Arabia is incapable of organising the pilgrimage,' said Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani, leading the main weekly prayers in Tehran. 'The running of the hajj must be handed over to Islamic states,' he said.

Several African countries confirmed deaths in the stampede, as did India, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Netherlands. Moroccan media gave 87 nationals killed.

Iranian protesters shout slogans while holding black flags during a demonstration against Saudi Arabia in Tehran, Iran

A group of men hold an anti-U.S. flag during the demonstrations. The U.S. is a close ally of the Saudi kingdom

Iran has stepped up its criticism of Saudi authorities' handling of safety measures in recent days. Pictured are a group of protesters

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari urged King Salman 'to ensure a comprehensive and thorough exercise that will identify any flaws in hajj organisation'.

Buhari said his country had lost a prominent journalist, a professor 'and others' in the tragedy.

Largely incident-free for nine years after safety improvements, this year's hajj was afflicted by double tragedy.

Days before it started, a construction crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, killing 109 people including many foreigners.

The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which each of the world's more than 1.5 billion Muslims is expected to perform at least once in his or her lifetime, as long as they are capable.