Debunked: Saudi authorities did not bulldoze bodies in Mecca

A few days after a deadly stampede killed more than 700 pilgrims in Mecca, this photo began stirring up a social media frenzy. Internet users said it showed bulldozers clearing away the bodies of dozens of victims. But is there any truth behind it? Our team investigates.

Sadly, such tragedies are not uncommon during the annual pilgrimage to Islam’s holiest site, Mecca. But this was the worst stampede to hit in 25 years. It took place on September 24 on what's known in the Muslim calendar as Eid al-Adha, the festival of the sacrifice, in Mina, just a few kilometres from Mecca. More than 700 pilgrims died and over 900 were left injured when two large groups of pilgrims tried to push their way past one another from opposite directions.

In the photos taken by agency photojournalists after the catastrophe, dozens of dead bodies can be seen strewn across the ground. Many are covered with white blankets, whilst other pictures show rescue workers desperately working to get injured people onto stretchers amidst horrified crowds of onlookers.

It wasn't long before Saudi authorities came under fire for failing to prevent yet another tragedy. As criticism mounted, several images began circulating online showing bodies piled up on top of one another. Yet one stood out above the rest: an image appearing to show a bulldozer clearing away corpses in the aftermath of the tragedy. For outraged internet users who shared the photo, it was proof enough that Saudi Arabia's rulers had blood on their hands.

Meanwhile, a little-known Iranian website called Namnak.com tasked itself with verifying when the photo was originally published. The site reported that it was in fact just one of a series of photographs taken in the aftermath of another stampede that took place more than ten years before. Some of those photos were uploaded here back in 2004.

The photos published by the Iranian website seem to have been taken at the same place and at the same time as the photos from 2004. Looking closely, one can make out the white monument in the background. That's notably where the “stoning of the devil” takes place, a ritual meant to symbolise the pilgrims' refusal to give in to temptation or to sin.

But there's yet another detail that proves this particular photo wasn't taken in 2015. The site was expanded and renovated after a deadly stampede in 2006 left more than 300 pilgrims dead. As a result, today's white monument is far bigger and more oval-shaped than the one that can be seen behind the bulldozer in the photo.