More than 850 others were injured at the incident at Mina, as tens of thousands of pilgrims converged on the holy city of Mecca.
It's the deadliest incident at the event in 25 years and the second disaster to strike Mecca in two weeks, after a crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque, killing more than 100 people.
During the Hajj, pilgrims travel to Mina, a large valley about five kilometres from Mecca, to throw seven stones at pillars called Jamarat, representing the devil.
Tchima Illa Issoufou was in Mina when the disaster unfolded.
"People were going towards the direction of throwing the stones while others were coming from the opposite direction. Then it became chaotic and suddenly people started going down. People were just climbing on top of others in order to move to a safer place and that's how some people died. People were chanting Allah's name while others were crying, including children and infants. I lost my aunt as a result of the stampede and at the moment, two women from our entourage - a mother and her daughter - are still missing."
A Saudi Interior ministry spokesman, Mansur al-Turki, says Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, has ordered an investigation into the tragedy.
"These are the reasons - overcrowding, stampede, marching in opposite directions, high temperature, in addition to the fatigue and exhaustion of pilgrims, after many days of rituals. It is known that the tenth day of Hajj sees the highest numbers of pilgrim flows to culminate their rituals. Further reasons are still being investigated."
The annual Hajj pilgrimage attracts huge crowds: more then two million visitors were expected this year.
Among those killed were pilgrims from countries all around the world.
The President of the United National General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft, says it's a devastating loss.
"It's particularly saddened that during this time of celebration for all Muslims so many people will be left grieving for their loved ones."
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also offered his condolences.
"And I sincerely hope that, under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, there will be immediate and necessary assistance for those people. I hope that the injured people will get a speedy recovery."
Iran has announced three days of national mourning for the 90 Iranians among the dead.
Iran's supreme leader has accused Saudi Arabia of ignoring safety concerns.
The head of Iran's Hajj organisation, Said Ohadi, says the Saudis did not provide adequate security.
"Unfortunately for unknown reasons security officers closed off one route. There was limited space for pilgrims and unfortunately pilgrims from many countries were unfortunately pressed together."
However the Saudi health minister, Khaled al-Falihi, has suggested the pilgrims themselves are to blame for the tragedy, because they failed to follow instructions.
"The accident was a stampede caused by overcrowding and also caused by some of the pilgrims not following the movement instructions of the security and the Hajj Ministry."
The disaster is the worst to befall the pilgrimage since July 1990, when 1426 pilgrims were crushed to death in a tunnel near Mecca.
Both stampedes occurred on Eid al-Adha, Islam's most important feast, and the day of the stoning ritual.
This is the second deadly incident to overshadow the Hajj season this month, after a crane collapse killed 107 people and wounded more than 200.
Pilgrim Mohammed Mustafa says he and many others are deeply affected.
"This is the most important place for us as Muslims. It's every Muslim's dream to be here. So to get this news, just a few weeks ater the crane accident - it's heartbreaking.You don't know if one of them is going to be your friend or your family member. Even if it's no one you know, its bad enough."
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