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![Saudi officials are investigating what caused the surge that led to hundreds being trampled at Mina [Xinhua]](http://thebricspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/247329032_8-e1443101841708.jpg)
Saudi officials are investigating what caused the surge that led to hundreds being trampled at Mina [Xinhua]
The Saudi Arabian interior ministry said that it had dispatched more than 200 ambulances and 4,000 emergency staff to assist in rescuing survivors.
It said that at least 850 pilgrims had been injured in the stampede.
The stoning of the devil ritual, in which pilgrims hurl pebbles and stones at three pillar walls in Mina near Mecca, has always been considered dangerous because of the huge numbers of pilgrims who rush the walls.
Saudi Arabian authorities said that a sudden surge toward the pillar walls occurred at around 0600 GMT and that hundreds were trampled in the rush.
The death toll is expected to rise.
Two weeks ago, a construction crane fell at the Grand Mosque in Mecca killing 107 people and injuring nearly 300.
The BRICS Post with inputs from Agencies
