In the early 90s or thereabouts, over a thousand died on a single day in the Hajj. That too was stampede-related but it was not a stampede caused by stones accidentally hitting people. Pedestrian tunnels and bridges -- and other such traffic bottle necks -- pose routine risk.

I was reading through some historical archives -- we are talking c. post-1630s, pre-1730s AD -- and saying bye to somebody going on Hajj was like saying a parting farewell often enough. Those days, it wasn't stampedes, but marauders en route, illness, etc. If someone made it back, it was a big deal.

These days, a lot more people go to Hajj. And many leave the Hajj being weakened (from exposure to the natural elements) and ill -- a lot of respiratory infections and stomach ailments.