Brutal Day at the Haj

More than 345 people were killed in a stampede at Mecca during the annual Haj. The stampede occurred during the traditional stoning of the devil.

The stampede occurred as pilgrims headed toward al-Jamarat, a series of three pillars representing the devil that the faithful pelt with stones to purge themselves of sin.

This isn't the first time that stampedes have occurred during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. A stampede in 1990 killed 1,426 people and one in 2004 killed 244. Earlier this year, a hotel collapse killed 76 people who came to Mecca for the annual pilgrimage.

UPDATE:
Scott Adams has a decidedly different take on the stampede. That's what you get when you write Dilbert for a living.

UPDATE:
Outside the Beltway offers a recent history lesson of problems at the Haj.