Pakistani pilgrims tracked in Saudi Arabia; 85 missing

The dispute came amid tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia over the conflicts in Yemen and Syria that Riyadh views as a bid by Tehran to expand its influence in the region.

An Iranian survivor of the September 24 incident in Mina, whose name was not revealed, said only a handful of Saudi soldiers assisted those being trampled in the crush.

This year more than two million pilgrims traveled to Mecca.

The number of Pakistani pilgrims, martyred during stampede at Mina, Saudi Arabia, on Monday rose to 40 and 35 others injured in the incident.

“We are facilitating visits of relatives of missing pilgrims and tour operators to the complex for identification”, she said.

Iran has vowed to take worldwide legal action against Saudi Arabia’s rulers over the crush of Muslim pilgrims at this year’s hajj, which killed at least 769 people, including 136 Iranians.

On the special instructions of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has established “Haj and Mina tragedy helpline” in order to provide necessary help and information to the families of missing pilgrims.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Muslim countries should demand Saudi Arabia be held to account for the deaths.

Iran has been fiercely critical of the Saudi authorities’ handling of safety and questioned whether the kingdom was fit to carry on organising the annual pilgrimage.

Fifty-four Nigerians have been confirmed dead from the stampede by National Hajj Commission of Nigeria’s (NAHCON) with many more yet to be accounted for. “Those are the ones who died in various hospitals since the event”, al-Falih said in a statement. Saudi foreign minister accused Tehran of using the tragedy for “political purposes”.

Iran, regional rival of Saudi Arab, estimates the death toll higher than that of the Saudi authorities said.

A massive construction crane collapsed on the Grand Mosque in the nearby holy city of Mecca days beforehand, killing 109 people, many of them pilgrims.

“This is not a situation with which to play politics”, he said before meeting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday.

“We will urge global courts and circles to start the trial of the Saudis for their crimes against Hajj pilgrims”, Iran’s Prosecutor General Ebrahim Raisi was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency yesterday.