Pilgrim leaps to death at Mecca's Grand Mosque during Hajj
Pilgrim leaps to death at Mecca's Grand Mosque during Hajj
A man has committed suicide in Saudi Arabia at Mecca's Grand Mosque by jumping off the building's roof as thousands of pilgrims gathered at Islam's holiest site for Hajj.
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Muslims around the world have gathered in Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage [Getty]
An Arab national has committed suicide during the Muslim holy season of Hajj, which sees millions around the world make their way to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage.
An Arab national reportedly threw himself off the roof of the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Friday morning, Saudi Press Agency reported.
"Two other pilgrims who were wounded in the incident are in a stable condition in hospital," said Ahmad bin Mohammed al-Mansouri, spokesman for the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques.
Security authorities are investigating the incident, he added.
The Pakistani ministry of religious affairs said that at least 42 Pakistani pilgrims have died of various causes during the ongoing Hajj in Saudi Arabia this year.
Of 42 victims, 30 were male and 12 female. Most of them died of suffocation or in road accidents, Xinhua news agency quoted the officials as saying.
The dead pilgrims were aged between early 40s and late 80s.
This is not the first time this incident has taken place. In June, a French man jumped off the roof of Mecca's grand mosque as hundreds of pilgrims gathered at Islam's holiest site during the month of Ramadan. His death was immediate, and no others were wounded.
Last year, a Saudi man attempted to set himself on fire in front of the Kaaba - the square stone building at the centre of the mosque compound where Muslims around the world face while praying - but was stopped by security forces.
The following help-lines can be contacted if you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts:
UK: The Samaritans: 116 123
US: The Samaritans: 1 (800) 273-TALK
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