Collapse
According to reports, prior to the collapse a fire was seen spreading downstairs in the building. The fire alarm went off and sprinklers were in operation. The building was not full, as many of the occupants had made their way to the Masjid al Haram for mid-day Salat. As soon as the collapse happened, nearby people began to dig to try to remove the rubble. Up to one thousand Saudi rescue workers were dispatched, and two large cranes were brought in to try to clear the masonry. People in buildings nearby were evacuated as a precaution.
Read more about this topic: 2006 Mecca Hostel Collapse
Famous quotes containing the word collapse:
“I confidently predict the collapse of capitalism and the beginning of history. Something will go wrong in the machinery that converts money into money, the banking system will collapse totally, and we will be left having to barter to stay alive. Those who can dig in their garden will have a better chance than the rest. I’ll be all right; I’ve got a few veg.”
—Margaret Drabble (b. 1939)
“The Roman world is in collapse but we do not bend our neck.”
—Jerome (c. 340–420)
“Newspapers are unable, seemingly, to discriminate between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilisation.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)