MAKKAH, Saudi Arabia — At least 717 people were
killed, and 863 injured, in a stampede in Mina, in
Saudi Arabia, yesterday during the Islamic
commemoration of Jamarat, which is the “stoning
of the devil” with pebbles.
This has now brought the death toll in Saudi Arabia
to 824 as107 persons including six Nigerians died
on September 11 when a huge red crane crashed
into a part of the Grand Mosque — the largest in the
world — that was filled with worshippers at the
time.
The head of Saudi Arabia’s civil defence said strong
winds and heavy rains had caused the collapse.
The Stoning of the Devil is a re-enactment of a
story from the Q’uran involving the Prophet
Ibrahim, which takes place during the Hajj, a few
kilometers away from Mina.
Some reports say total number of casualties
remained unclear as more than three million
pilgrims observing this year’s hajj, who spent the
night in the plain fields of Muzdalifa, began trooping
to the Jamarat as early as 3 a.m. local time.
Saudi civil defence authorities confirmed the deaths
on Twitter and said two medical centres had been
opened to treat the injured. More than 4,000
emergency workers were sent to the scene, and
hundreds of people were taken to four hospitals,
the New York Times reported.
Vanguard correspondent reports Nigerians among
dead
Our correspondent at the scene confirmed that
several Nigerian pilgrims also died in the stampede
while officials of Nigerian delegation are already
taking stock of Nigerians and will soon come out
with the number and identities of those Pilgrims
involved. At press time, the more 200 rescue
officials were busy attending to victims as
hospitals close to Jamrah were busy.
Cause of stampede
An eye witness told Vanguard on telephone that
“the stampede started from tents erected close to
Jamrah. Pilgrims were not supposed to pass
through the tents but they did since there were no
officials to stop them and the pandemonium led to a
massive stampede at the Jamrah exit points.”
He added that Saudi officials who are saddled with
the responsibility of controlling the movement of
persons were not around the area at the time of the
incident.
According to hm, the exit points to the Jamrah are
four. There was an ambulance parked close to one
of the entries and again, another entry had been
taken over by disabled persons, but since there
were no security officials to direct movement,
people became unruly when trying to find a way
out, causing the stampede.
Vanguard photographer, Lamidi Bamidele, who
escaped death by the whiskers confirmed that
officials were not around the area when the
incident occurred. “I was at the centre of the
stampede. Saudi police and traffic officials who
used to control movement were not available. In
fact it was after the stampede that they arrived. I
managed to escape unhurt but not without losing
my pair of shoes,” he stated.
Nigerians involved
It was gathered that some Nigerians were among
those killed in the stampede. According to a
source, “I saw a couple of bodies being moved
away and I know they were Nigerians but I cannot
confirm the number now. It was not difficult to
know the identity of any pilgrim because each
pilgrim always wears a band which indicates where
he comes from. Authorities are still collating the
number of Nigerians killed and injured in the
stampede.”
Iran slams Saudi Arabia over Hajj stampede
Meanwhile, Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of
safety errors after at least 43 of its citizens died in
a stampede that killed hundreds of pilgrims during
the pilgrimage. After saying the kingdom was
responsible for Thursday’s tragedy, Deputy Foreign
Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said Saudi’s
envoy to Tehran would be summoned to its foreign
ministry.
The head of Iran’s Hajj organisation, Said Ohadi,
said that, for “unknown reasons,” two paths had
been closed off near the site of a symbolic stoning
of the devil ritual where the stampede occurred.
“This caused this tragic incident,” he said on state
television, according to the Associated Press news
agency.
The names of all Iranians killed in the stampede
were read out in a sombre live broadcast in Tehran
by a spokesman for the Hajj organisation. Saudi’s
civil defence service has said at least 717 people
were killed and 863 hurt. Ohadi said the path
closures had left only three routes to the area
where the stoning ceremony was held in Mina,
about 5km from Mecca.
Saudi Arabia orders probe into tragic stampede
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince has ordered an
investigation after the stampede, according to state
media. Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, who chairs the
Saudi Hajj committee, ordered the probe during a
meeting, yesterday, with senior officials responsible
for the pilgrimage in Mina, where the stampede
took place.
The findings of the investigation will be submitted to
King Salman, “who will take appropriate measures”,
the Saudi Press agency said. The Saudi Arabian
interior ministry says the crush of Muslim pilgrims
appears to have been caused by two waves of
pilgrims meeting at an intersection.
Ministry spokesman, Major-General Mansour al-
Turki said high temperatures and fatigue might also
have been factors in the disaster, the deadliest to
afflict the Hajj pilgrimage in more than two
decades. However, the head of Iran’s Hajj
organisation, Said Ohadi, said that, for “unknown
reasons,” two paths had been closed off near the
site of a symbolic stoning of the devil ritual where
the stampede occurred.
“This caused this tragic incident,” he said on state
television, according to the Associated Press news
agency. The Hajj is the fifth and final pillar of Islam.
It is the journey that every able-bodied adult
Muslim must undertake at least once in their lives
if they can afford it.
WCC laments loss of lives in Hajj stampede
General secretary of the World Council of Churches
(WCC), Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, has expressed
grief over the loss of lives in Saudi Arabian
stampede. In a statement yesterday, he said, “I
have just learned with shock and sorrow about the
considerable and tragic loss of life among those
participating in the Hajj due to the accident that has
taken place today (yesterday) in Mina, near Mecca.
My heart goes out to the relatives of those who
have died, and to those who have been wounded. I
am saddened that people who are seeking to follow
with loyalty and fidelity the tenets of their religion in
this way should have suffered so grievously,” said
the WCC general secretary.
“I offer my prayers for the wellbeing of the
remaining pilgrims during the rest of their time in
and near Mecca and then safe travel to their
homes,” the secretary general added.

1987: 400 people die as Saudi authorities confront
pro-Iranian demonstrators.

*1990: 1,426 pilgrims killed in stampede inside
tunnel leading to holy sites

*1994: 270 killed in stampede

*1997: 343 pilgrims killed and 1,500 injured in fire
incident

*2006: 364 pilgrims died in a stampede during the
stone-throwing ritual

www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/nigerians-among-717-killed-in-hajj-stampede/

innallahi waina illahi rajihun....Then why did the prince said Africans cause the stampede...

There's no how Nigerians won't be among. May God console the bereaved.