The unfortunate collapse of a large crane into a portion of the Grand mosque in Mecca led to the deaths of 87 people whilst leaving 180 injured.

The incident occurred earlier today, when a large swathe of people had gathered in the mosque for Friday prayers.

The head of Saudi Arabia’s civil defence said strong winds and heavy rains had caused the collapse.

The Grand mosque, on the holy site in Mecca were millions of Muslims flock during their annual Hajj pilgrimage, is undergoing extension work to be able to hold up to 2.2 million people at once.

The crane which crashed was part of the ensemble being used for the expansion. Reports indicate the area had been hit with unusually high levels of wind and rain.

The annual Hajj pilgrimage is set to kick off within two weeks.