Friday, January 13 2006 11:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) : More than 60 Muslim pilgrims were trampled to death yesterday (Jan 12, 2006) as they tripped over luggage in a scramble to hurl pebbles at symbols of Satan during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi officials said.

It was the latest in a succession of stampede tragedies to hit the pilgrimage despite efforts of the Saudi authorities to avoid a repeat of disasters like the one that killed 1,426 people in 1990.

"The number of killed has exceeded 60 and the figure is expected to rise because there are dozens of victims who have not been transported to hospitals yet," a medical source told sources. "Many of the bodies brought to hospital are from South East Asian countries", the source added.

The Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel showed footage of the bodies of dozens of pilgrims laying on the ground, covered with white shrouds.

Interior ministry spokesman Mansur Al-Turki confirmed to sources that "there is a large number of deaths but we cannot give (exact) numbers now because rescue teams are still evacuating the area". He said the accident occurred "because of the luggage that fell and led to a rush at the eastern entrance of the Jamarat bridge", where the pilgrims stone three pillars symbolising the devil in the valley of Mina, east of the holy city of Mecca.

Adel Zamzami, head of civil defence forces in western Saudi Arabia, said, "there is an accident at the beginning of the bridge of Jamarat. We have a number of casualties and injuries. The (exact) number is not known yet".