Iran vows to take Saudi rulers to court over hajj disaster

Members of Saudi civil defence try to rescue pilgrims following a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca.

‘I believe the Iranians should know better than to play politics with a tragedy that has befallen people who were performing their most sacred religious duty, ‘ foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Saturday. Iran and several other countries have criticized Saudi authorities for their handling of safety problems in the pilgrimage that attracts about 2 million Muslims per year.

Health Minister Khaled al-Falih announced the new figure, an increase from the previous toll of 717.

“Those are the ones who died in various hospitals since the event”, he said, adding that 934 people had been injured in the deadly crush of people as they carried out a symbolic stoning of the devil on Thursday.

Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani, in New York to attend the UN General Assembly, echoed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in blaming Saudi Arabia for the incident.

The interior ministry has said it assigned 100,000 police to secure the Hajj and manage crowds.

The state television website said Iran asked the “Saudi government to immediately cooperate to allow for the bodies of killed pilgrims to be repatriated”.

On Saturday, groups of pilgrims were moving from early morning towards Jamarat Bridge for the last of three stoning days. As for the things that humans can not control, you can not be blamed for them.

A woman pilgrim from Hyderabad identified as Bibi Jaan was also killed in the stampede, said S A Shukoor, special officer of Telangana State Haj Committee.

“Instead of accusing this and that, the Saudis should accept the responsibility and apologise to the Muslims and the victims’ families”.

On Friday thousands took to the streets of Tehran to condemn Saudi Arabia’s rulers.

The pilgrimage season this year has also been marked by the construction crane that fell September 11 on the Grand Mosque of Mecca and left 107 dead and 238 injured.