The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced a compensation of about Rs 1.7 crore each to the families of those who died or were critically injured in the Mecca crane collapse.
King Salman, in a royal decree, announced that the KSA will pay 1 million Saudi riyals (roughly Rs 1.77 crore) each to the families of the deceased and those who have been permanently disabled in the accident.
Those who suffered less-fatal injuries will be given a compensation of Rs 88 lakh per person, according to the Turkish state-run press, Anadolu Agency.
The accident, which occurred ahead of the annual Haj pilgrimage, killed 115 people, including 11 Indians. The mosque was teeming with Haj pilgrims on 11 September, when a massive crane collapsed into the Grand Mosque.
According to local reports, most of the dead have been buried in Martyrs' Cemetery, located near the mosque.
Saudi Arabia, which initially attributed the crane collapse to "strong winds", barred board members of the Bin Laden Group – a prominent Saudi development firm involved in the expansion works in Mecca, to leave the country.
According to Saudi Arabia's official press agency SPA, an inquiry commission found the development firm partly guilty for leaving the massive crane at a "precarious position" near the mosque.
