King Salman Offers 1M Saudi Riyals For Mecca Crane Crash Victims, Invites Relatives As Guests In Haj 2016

Victims of the Mecca crane crash are going to be compensated with up to 1 million Saudi riyals (about $266,705).

Saudi King Salman has ordered 1 million riyals compensation for those who were injured with permanent disability and half a million for other injured pilgrims. Families of the deceased are also going to receive 1 million riyals, according to a royal court order.

The Saudi royal court has not found any criminal intent behind the crane collapse. The deadly crash Friday killed 111 people and injured 331 before the start of the hajj pilgrimage in the Muslim holy city.

The court, however, found there was a violation of safety standards that, combined with strong winds, affected the positioning of the crane. The Saudi Binladin Group, which was involved in the Grand Mosque expansion project, has been banned from undertaking any future projects, according to the court ruling.

“Strong winds caused the crash while the crane was in a wrong position. The position of the crane was in violation of the operational instructions from the manufacturer,” the Saudi Gazette quoted the report.

Al Arabiya reported that the Finance Ministry would review the ongoing projects of the suspended construction company. The court has also imposed a travel ban for all the members of the Binladin family until the completion of the investigation.

Relatives of two foreign pilgrims killed in the accident will be King Salman’s guest for the 2016 pilgrimage. The injured pilgrims, who are unable to perform hajj this year, will be brought back next year as the king’s guests.