Thirteen person accused over the collapse of a crane that killed dozens in Mecca were on Thursday acquitted by a Saudi court.

The accused included a Saudi billionaires, nationals from Pakistan, the Philippines, Canada, and several Arab countries.

The accused were charged for ignoring safety precautions and negligence leading to death.

According to the court, it does not have

jurisdiction to hear cases involving “safety breaches”.

The crane had killed over 109 people after it fell into the courtyard of the mosque.

Judge Abdulaziz Hamoud al-Tuairki had rejected a plea from defence lawyers to prevent newspapers from covering the case.

The prosecution however objected to the ruling and asked to appeal.