Saudi Arabia suggests pilgrims at fault over haj deaths

A Muslim man weeps after getting the news of his family members, who died in Thursday's stampede in Mecca {PHOTO: REUTERS}

Saudi Arabia on Friday suggested pilgrims ignoring crowd control rules bore some blame for a crush that killed over 700 people at the haj pilgrimage in the annual event's worst disaster for 25 years.

The kingdom's regional rival Iran expressed outrage at the deaths of 131 of its nationals at the world's largest annual gathering of people, and politicians in Tehran suggested Riyadh was incapable of managing the event.