Hamid Ansari expresses grief over accident in Mecca's Grand Mosque

NEW DELHI: Vice President Hamid Ansari tonight expressed grief over the death of 87 people in a mishap at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's Mecca city, in which at least nine Indians were also injured.

The Vice President has called for every effort to render all possible help to the injured. He conveyed condolences to the family of the deceased and wished for the speedy recovery of injured.

Eighty seven people were killed and 184 others injured when a construction crane crashed into the mosque.

"Our Consulate in Jeddah is monitoring situation in Makkah following tragic accident. We have recd reports that 9 Indian pilgrims are injured," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

He said senior Indian officers, including the Consul General, are in Mecca and Indian doctors deployed in all government hospitals are trying to get more information.