Saudi Arabia suspends Binladen group over Makkah crane collapse
| Tuesday, September 15, 2015 |
Saudi Arabia suspended major construction company Binladin group from new contracts following the Makkah crane crash that killed 107 people and ordered the finance ministry to review its existing projects, the royal court said on Tuesday.
King Salman also ordered that all members of the board and senior executives be prevented from travelling abroad after an investigation into last week's incident showed the crane had been erected in a way that deviated from manufacturers instructions, causing it to crash in high wind.
Explaining the action, an official statement referred without elaborating to the responsibility and "shortcomings" of the company following an investigation into the crane crash that also injured 238 other people.
The king ordered that the Binladin group be prevented from entering into new bids or new projects, said the statement, carried by state news agency SPA. The suspension would remain in force until the investigation is complete and until all legal cases are settled.
The crane toppled over at Makkah's Grand Mosque last Friday, less than two weeks before Islam's annual haj pilgrimage.
This image is embedded in ...
- Why is Saudi Arabia destroying the cultural heritage of Mecca and Medina?, Thursday, November 26, 2015 - 07:50