On 2 July 1990, 1,426 people were suffocated and trampled to death in a crowd crush or stampede event in a tunnel near Mecca during the Hajj.
Why this event still matters
Historical incidents shape the rules that protect people today — building codes, evacuation policy, warning systems and inspection regimes almost always trace back to a specific disaster. Studying 1990 Mecca tunnel tragedy alongside current events is how preparedness improves.
See what is happening right now on the live world incident map, browse every stampedes we track on the Stampede / Crowd Crush tracker, or follow live incidents in Saudi Arabia.