Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption BBC reporter Tchima Illa Issoufou: "I lost my aunt as a result of the stampede" 
 
 At least 717 people taking part in the Hajj pilgrimage have been killed in a stampede near the Islamic holy city of Mecca, officials in Saudi Arabia say. Here's a look at some deadly hajj-related incidents: 
 
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 2015: At least 310 people are killed and hundreds injured in a stampede in Mina, on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca. Photographs showed the bodies of dozens of pilgrims on the ground, some piled high. ___ 
 
 1990: The worst hajj-related tragedy claims the lives of 1,426 pilgrims in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to holy sites in Mecca. In the ritual, crowds of pilgrims throw stones at three pillars in a re-enactment of when the Prophet Abraham stoned the devil and rejected his temptations, according to Muslim traditions. Hajj: Previous tragedies 
 
 2006: 364 pilgrims die in a crush at foot of Jamarat Bridge in Mina 
 
 1997: 340 pilgrims are killed when fire fuelled by high winds sweeps through Mina's tent city 
 
 1994: 270 pilgrims die in a stampede during the stoning ritual 
 
 1990: 1,426 pilgrims, mainly Asian, die in a stampede in an overcrowded tunnel leading to holy sites 
 
 1987: 402 people die when security forces break up an anti-US demonstration by Iranian pilgrims 
 
 Timeline: Deadliest stampedes 
 
 Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who headed an emergency meeting after the stampede, has ordered an investigation. King Salman has ordered an urgent review of this year's Hajj plans "to improve the level of organisation". The stampede broke... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this image posted on the official Twitter account of the directorate of the Saudi Civil Defense agency, rescuers respond to a stampede that killed and injured pilgrims in the holy city of Mina during... (Associated Press) 
 
 On occasion, the hajj and events surrounding it have been marred by accidents and tragedies, such as Thursday's stampede near Mecca that killed at least 310 people. "People were climbing over one another just to breathe." ___ 
 
 2006: More than 360 pilgrims are killed in a stampede at the desert plain of Mina, near Mecca, where pilgrims carry out a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls. ___ 
 
 1998: About 180 pilgrims are trampled to death in panic after several of them fell off an overpass during the final stoning ritual at Mina. On September 11, just days before this year's Hajj started, a construction crane crashed through the roof of another Hajj destination, the Grand Mosque in Mecca, killing 107 people. A spiritual climax 
 
 More than 2 million Muslims from around the world are attending the annual Hajj pilgrimage this year. Another 863 people were injured in the incident at Mina, which occurred as two million pilgrims were taking part in the Hajj's last major rite.  CAIRO (AP) — Every year, millions of Muslims converge on the Saudi holy cities of Mecca and Medina for the annual hajj pilgrimage, with the massive ceremonies representing a major security and logistical challenge for the kingdom's authorities. For most Muslims, the pilgrimage is the spiritual climax of their lives, with many saving for decades to be able to make the journey to Mecca. Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: The Hajj: Muslims gather for annual pilgrimage Muslim pilgrims touch Islam's holiest shrine, the Kaaba , at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on Monday, September 21. Performing the Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam.
– A stampede at the "stoning the devil" ritual has become the hajj pilgrimage's worst disaster in a decade. Saudi authorities say at least 717 people were killed; previous reports said at least another 450 were injured in the crush of people at Mina, near the holy city of Mecca, the AP reports. The BBC explains that the hajj is "the fifth and final pillar of Islam"; every adult Muslim who can physically and financially manage to do so is expected to make the pilgrimage once in their lives. Two million people are this year participating in the annual five-day pilgrimage, which started Tuesday. One of the final major rites of the hajj involves casting stones at pillars that signify the devil. After numerous similar disasters at the ritual, including a 2006 stampede that killed 345 people, the Saudis spent $1.2 billion on measures to reduce congestion at the site where pilgrims hurl stones at three pillars, CNN reports. Read about other hajj-related tragedies, the worst of which happened in 1990, here.