Haj stampede death toll reaches 717

The death toll in the Haj stampede in Mina during the stoning of Satan has reached 717, the Saudi civil defence said.

According to The Express Tribune, the pilgrims were killed while performing the annual Hajj pilgrimage at Mina, outside the holy city of Mecca.

It was the last day of the pilgrimage and it has traditionally been the most dangerous day of Hajj because vast numbers of pilgrims attempt to perform rituals at the same time in a single location.

Photos showed pilgrims lying on stretchers while emergency workers in high-visibility jackets lifted them into an ambulance.

It is the second tragedy at Mecca in a month. Earlier on September 12, the crane collapse at Mecca's Grand Mosque had killed more than 100 people.