A crane collapsed during construction work inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca in late afternoon on Sunday.

The crane operator was injured in the incident which occurred in an isolated area near Gate 160 in the third expansion area.

During Ramadan, the most sacred month for Muslims, the Grand Mosque in Mecca is among the most crowded areas in the world with tens of thousands of Muslims performing Umrah or praying there.

In September 2015, close to 400 were killed after a crane collapsed on the Grand Mosque.