A penal court in Makkah on Sunday acquitted all 13 people charged with negligence in the 2015 crane crash incident which had resulted in deaths of at least 109 people, the Saudi Gazette reported.

"The court said that they are not criminally responsible for the incident," Saudi Gazette said, adding that the Saudi attorney general had filed an appeal against the decision which had been approved.

A court in May had ordered the accused to stand trial again, after it had been dismissed by another in January.

A massive construction crane had crashed into Makkah's Grand Mosque in September 2015, killing 109 people, less than a fortnight before the Haj pilgrimage was supposed to start. The crane that crashed was one of several that the Saudi Binladin Group had erected as part of a multi-billion-dollar expansion plan to accommodate the increasing numbers of faithful.

King Salman suspended the firm from new public contracts for several months after the tragedy.

Saudi Binladin Group, which developed landmark buildings in the kingdom, was founded more than 80 years ago by the father of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was killed by US commandos in Pakistan in 2011.

Opinion

Editorial

Stirring trouble
08 Dec, 2024

Stirring trouble

HIS party may have been left battered and bruised by its latest protest, but the incarcerated PTI founder wants the...
Unfairness in cricket
08 Dec, 2024

Unfairness in cricket

HOPES that cricketing ties between Pakistan and India would be strengthened by the latter team’s visit across the...
Syria rebel advance
08 Dec, 2024

Syria rebel advance

CITY after city in Syria is falling into rebel hands as Bashar al-Assad’s government looks increasingly vulnerable...
Threat perception
Updated 07 Dec, 2024

Threat perception

Despite clear proof of the threat posed by malign armed actors, the military and civilian leadership prefers to focus on political opponents.
Humanity at risk
07 Dec, 2024

Humanity at risk

HUMAN trafficking continues to remain an area where the state has utterly failed its citizens. While global...
Banks and larger goals
07 Dec, 2024

Banks and larger goals

THAT banks in Pakistan “prioritise profit over purpose” and promote financial products with limited knowledge of...