After first pointing to an “act of God”, Saudi Arabia’s most senior Islamic figure said Thursday’s stampede, which killed more than 700 people at the annual Mecca pilgrimage to Mecca, was beyond human control.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin-Abdullah al-Sheikh was visited by the crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef, who is also deputy prime minister and chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee, on Friday evening, with the former reportedly telling him that “you are not responsible for what happened.”

The Saudis have come under extreme criticism for the handling of the crowds at the annual Hajj pilgrimage, chiefly among rival and predominately Shiite Iran.