Dive Brief:
- A committee investigating Friday's crane collapse in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia — which resulted in more than 107 deaths and 238 injuries of people in the Grand Mosque — said that major construction company Saudi Binladin Group "shoulders partial responsibility" for the incident.
- Saudi Arabia King Salman suspended the Binladin Group from any new government contracts and asked for investigations into all government projects currently under development by the firm.
- The committee said the construction company failed to effectively communicate with other government groups — including meteorology officials — resulting in inadequate safety precautions during the violent storm that caused the crane to fall. Officials also said the crane "was in a wrong position in violation of the manufacturer’s operating instructions."
Dive Insight:
King Salman ordered the Binladin Group senior executives to be banned from traveling outside of the country while investigations and possible trials continue.
Victims of the crash will be compensated by the Saudi government. The crash occurred less than two weeks before the start of the major Muslim Hajj pilgrimage, which brings a wave of visitors to the city.
The Grand Mosque — the largest mosque in the world — has been undergoing a massive expansion to add 4.3 million square feet to the space in order to accommodate 2.2 million people in the mosque at once.
The Guardian said the crane collapse "exposed a shoddy breakneck construction boom" in Mecca.
The Binladin Group, one of the largest construction firms in the area, was founded more than 80 years ago by the father of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
