Oct 15 , 2015
News
Mina toll reaches 1,633; 100 Pakistanis among dead
DUBAI: The death toll from last month’s stampede in Mina has risen to at least 1,633, according to tallies given by foreign officials, making it the deadliest incident in the pilgrimage’s history. As many as 100 Pakistani pilgrims have been confirmed dead so far in the tragedy.
Another 19 pilgrims are stated to be still missing while two are under treatment at a Saudi hospital. According to a Religious Affairs ministry update, around 56 pilgrims have been laid to rest in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom is yet to provide an updated death toll after saying that 769 pilgrims had died in the tragedy near Makkah during Hajj. Saudi authorities have also not provided a breakdown by nationality.Hundreds of pilgrims have also not been accounted for following the September 24 stampede at the Hajj, one of the largest annual gatherings in the world. Saudi officials previously have said their tally remains accurate, although an investigation into the causes of the tragedy is ongoing.
Health authorities in the kingdom previously said civil defence officials would be offering any new casualty figures, though no new toll has been released by authorities since September 26. But many foreign governments have provided numbers on pilgrims killed from their countries and the tally shows the death toll has overtaken the 1,426 pilgrims who died in the Hajj’s worst previous incident — a tunnel stampede in July 1990.Authorities have said the disaster in Mina happened as two waves of pilgrims converged on a narrow road, causing hundreds of people to suffocate or be trampled to death. In previous years, the Hajj has drawn more than 3 million pilgrims without any major incidents and Saudi Arabia has spent billions to prepare for the pilgrimage in recent years. The crush and stampede was the second disaster to strike Saudi Arabia around the Hajj this year. On September 11, a construction crane crashed into Makkah’s Grand Mosque, killing at least 111 people.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk