Night shots of man being pulled from rubble, rescue operation
(6 Jan 2006) ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 1. Wide shot of Mecca with Grand Mosque in background 2. Close-up Mosque spires 3. Crowds gathered in the street 4. Emergency workers peering into rubble 5. Various of workers digging through rubble under lights 6. Earthmover shifting debris 7. Emergency workers gathered around crane 8. Medical worker shouting to colleague 9. Various of workers digging through rubble under lights 10. Wounded being put in ambulance 11. Crowds filing through nearby street 12. Ambulance travelling down street 13. Close-up crowds coming from mosque. STORYLINE: The death toll has been raised to 20 after a building collapsed in the Saudi city of Mecca on Thursday. Rescuers aided by bright spotlights worked into the night on Thursday, searching for survivors and clearing rubble. The Interior Ministry said 20 people were killed and 59 were injured in the collapse of Lulu'at al-Khair, a multi-purpose building that housed a number of shops and restaurants. It was in use as a hostel during the current hajj pilgrimage. The building was situated just 60 metres (yards) from the Grand Mosque, a focal point of the annual pilgrimage. Ministry spokesman Major-General Mansour al-Turki told a news conference that the dead included 11 men, eight women and one unidentified body. Cranes and bulldozers removed large slabs of concrete, and jackhammers broke up smaller pieces to aid in the clearing of debris. Rescuers had lowered cameras and microphones into the rubble in an attempt to locate survivors. About 1,000 rescue workers, medics and police scrambled over and around the collapsed building. A special unit of the country's anti-terrorism force maintained security, keeping curious bystanders behind a red-and-white police ribbon and patrolling the scene. Six massive generators supported spotlights atop long poles. The dead and injured were believed to have come from a number of countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. A government official, who did not identify himself, said the 40 year-old building's foundations were cracked and weak. The wounded were being taken to hospitals in Mecca and Jiddah, about 70 kilometres (40 miles) to the east. The number of pilgrims to Mecca has increased eleven fold over the past 15 years. During that time, the Saudi government spent billions of dollars to improve accommodations, transportation and medical facilities for the "guests of Allah." The massive gathering has been hit with tragedies frequently in recent years. The worst hajj-related tragedy occurred in 1990 when 1,426 pilgrims were killed in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in the city. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
