Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian offered Saturday his condolences to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia for the death of hundreds of pilgrims in a stampede in the tent city of Mina on Thursday.

Derian said he felt sorry for the tragic accident.

He prayed to Allah to have mercy on the dead pilgrims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

The Lebanese mufti wished that an investigation ordered by the Saudi king could uncover the real circumstances behind this tragedy.

As many as 717 pilgrims died and at least 863 others were injured on Thursday when a stampede broke out in the tent city of Mina during a pilgrimage ritual.

According to the Saudi Civil Defense Service, the crush took place at 7:30 a.m. on Street 204 of Mina, where pilgrims stone three pillars symbolizing the devil.

Source: MENA