Haj Stampede: 45 Indians Among Over 700 Dead

He directed the officials of prime minister’s office to telephone all the relatives of 63 missing pilgrims and acquaint them with the latest information.

The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board said reports that 11 pilgrims from the state were among the 769 pilgrims killed in Thursday’s stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia, were premature and untrue.

Saudi interior ministry has said investigations into the causes of the tragic stampede were underway and that “high temperature and tiredness” contributed to the accident. With the death toll rising, many pilgrims are still unaccounted for in the incident that marked the worst Hajj disaster in 25 years.

“But, historically, there has been one specific entity that has sought to mar Haj and target pilgrims, exploiting the season for its own political interests and revolutionary slogans”, the writer said.

“Our mission is working with Saudi authorities and family members to confirm the identities of the deceased and expedite the formalities for release of the mortal remains”, ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a statement.

The president prayed that Almighty Allah would receive the souls of the dead, comfort bereaved families, heal the injured and bring all surviving Nigerian pilgrims safely home.

The deputy chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri, told the Fars news agency on Monday that recent tragedies surrounding the hajj may have been the result of a plot between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Efforts to find other five missing Turkish citizens continue, said the sources.

The couple emptied their savings accounts, paying 570,000 Indian rupees ($8,600) to a tour operator that was more expensive than the government-run scheme but promised better services.

As Muslim pilgrims sombrely resumed the final rites of Haj on Friday, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman ordered a safety review and a revision of the Haj organisation. A large development crane collapsed on the Grand Mosque in the close by holy metropolis of Mecca days beforehand, killing 109 individuals, many of them pilgrims. Able-bodied Muslims are required to perform the five-day pilgrimage once in their lifetime, and each year poses a massive logistical challenge for the kingdom.