CRANE KILLED UK MUSLIM IN FIRST VISIT TO MAKKAH

Bolton, 3 Dzulhijjah 1436/17 September 2015 (MINA) – Muslims in Bolton, North West England, have paid tributes to Qasim Akram, a young British Muslim who died in the Saudi crane crash last Friday, a few hours only after arriving at the holy city of Makkah for his first pilgrimage.

“I saw him on Wednesday and he was really looking forward to it, smiling and asking me for tips because I went last year,” Akhtar Zaman, friend and local councilor for the Halliwell ward in Bolton said, On Islam quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Akram (32), was not near his parents when the crane struck the building. His parents are believed to have walked safe.

“He and his parents were in the same vicinity, the same area but he was maybe 50 yards ahead of his parents and that’s when the accident happened,” Zaman said.

“They lost contact with him and they couldn’t find him. They found out on Saturday night and the authorities identified him,” Zaman added.

Scores of Muslim pilgrims died and dozens were injured when a crane collapsed inside the Grand Mosque in Makkah amid strong winds and heavy rains on Friday evening.

According to latest reports, the Civil Defense said that as many as 107 died and 238 people had been injured.

That came about an hour after it tweeted that Makkah was witnessing medium to heavy rains, with some pictures circulating on social media showing lightning.

Photos sent by Twitter from the scene show numerous blood-covered bodies strewn on a marble floor under the arm of a large crane.

The accident occurred as the kingdom prepared to welcome 3 million people to the Muslim holy city for the annual pilgrimage that begins September 21.

Arkam had been on the once in a lifetime pilgrimage for around three to four weeks and had been an active member at the Masjid Al-Aqsa mosque in Gilnow Road, Halliwell, where his father was secretary.

“I knew Qasim personally, he was the most pleasant, hard-working, smiling and helpful young man you could ever meet,” Zaman said.

“He’s from quite a big family and they are devastated to the core. He is married and has four kids. I think the youngest may be one-and-a-half or two years old. People are praying at the mosques.

“I don’t know how to describe this loss. He was a member of the mosque and very active. He was the son of one of the founding members. He helped with the affairs of the mosque and the running of the mosque. His father was the secretary. He was very close to his family.

“It is a huge loss to the family and a big loss for the wider community.”

On the Masjid Al Aqsa mosque’s Facebook page, a picture of Akram was shared with the message: “We share not only the picture but also the pain and grief of his departure from this world to the eternal abode of bliss.”

The hajj is one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world.

The complex of Al-Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah covers 88.2 acres, which includes outdoor and indoor prayer spaces. It’s open 24 hours a day.

Last year, the number of people permitted to perform the hajj was lowered for safety reasons because of construction work to enlarge the Grand Mosque. (T/P006/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)