A driver has plowed a car into the gates of the iconic Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, damaging the entrance to the shrine. Nobody was seriously injured in the incident and the motorist is now in custody.
The collision on Friday night saw a driver careen off the road and slam into the mosque – known formally as the Masjid al-Haram – captured in footage circulating online.
A driver rammed his car into Door 89 of the Grand Mosque in Mecca (Masjid al-Haram) at 22:25pm Saudi time.The driver was arrested and based on video footage posted on social media, local media reports, there were no casualties. pic.twitter.com/CzNKWq5OO5
According to a representative for the Mecca regional government, Sultan al-Dosari, the car “swerved while moving at a high speed on one of the roads surrounding the southern courtyard of the Grand Mosque” before crashing. “Thankfully, no one was injured,” he added, sharing a photo of the wreck.
The arrested citizen is in an abnormal condition. He was referred to the public prosecution.
Saudi authorities say they arrested the driver of a car that sped into the pedestrian area (it appeared empty at the time) outside Masjid Al Haram in Mecca, before crashing into the mosque. He’s described as a Saudi citizen who was “in abnormal condition.” No injuries reported. https://t.co/fKcUClcMwi
Makkah Government: “The security authorities responded to an accident that involved a car hitting one of the doors of the Grand Mosque as a result of drifting while traveling at high speed on one of the roads surrounding the southern square of the Grand Mosque 1/2 pic.twitter.com/Nk14KnapLc
Video taken after the collision showed a group of security personnel carting the vehicle away from the crash site as bystanders looked on.
VIDEO 2 — Security men take the car that hit the doors of the Grand Mosque in Mecca (Masjid-al-Haram), out of the Mosque. #Makkah#المسجد_الحرام#سيارة_تقتحم_الحرمpic.twitter.com/RjnRR7NXmr
The renowned house of worship resumed public prayer earlier this month following a lengthy hiatus amid the coronavirus pandemic, closing its doors for some seven months. Saudi authorities also permitted citizens to gradually return to performing the Umrah pilgrimage in October, which typically attracts millions of worshipers from around the world to Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities known to Islam. With the health crisis, however, the number of devotees allowed to visit will be limited to 6,000 per day.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
