Hundreds of pilgrims killed in stampede; Second tragedy shadows annual Muslim rite in Saudi Arabia.(Main)

Byline: SALAH NASRAWI Associated Press

MINA, Saudi Arabia - Thousands of Muslims surging to complete a stoning ritual before sunset stampeded Thursday after some pilgrims tripped over dropped luggage, causing a pileup that killed at least 345 people in the second tragedy to hit this year's hajj.

Saudi authorities have sought for years to ease the flow of increasingly mammoth crowds during the annual Islamic pilgrimage, but the deaths on the final day of the stoning of the devil ritual underlined the difficulty in managing one of the world's biggest religious events, which this year drew more than 2.5 million followers.

The stampede came a week after …