4 Indians among 717 killed in Haj stampede

At least two Indian pilgrims were among the injured in the tragedy, the second worst to occur in 25 years during the world’s holiest Muslim pilgrimage. A sudden surge in the number of pilgrims heading to Jamarat for symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone walls resulted in the stampede at 9 AM local time (1130 IST).

The state-run Saudi Press Agency said the stampede occurred at the intersection of two streets leading to Jamarat, about five kilometres from Makkah. The Saudi civil defence authority said that 717 pilgrims from different nationalities were killed and 863 others were injured.

It was not immediately clear what caused the stampede, the second worst after 1990 when 1,426 pilgrims were killed in a stampede inside a tunnel leading to holy sites.

Dozens of bodies covered in white cloth were lying on the ground along with personal items like shoes, umbrellas etc scattered around them. TV footage from the incident site showed the ground strewn with injured people. Women and old men were screaming. The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals. Some of the injured were evacuated by helicopters to hospitals in Mecca. It was the second major accident this year for pilgrims.

Days before the Haj, a massive crane collapsed in Mecca Grand Mosque killing 115 people, including 11 Indians. The Indian Consulate in Jeddah  had earlier said there were no reports of any Indian being killed in the stampede so far. However, two Indians from Assam were injured and have been admitted to hospital.

A man from Kerala identified as Mohammed from Kodungaloor in Thrissur district was among the pilgrims killed in the incident, Kerala’s Rural Development and <g data-gr-id="46">Non Resident</g> Keralite Affairs (NORKA) Minister K C Joseph said in Thiruvananthapuram.

The deceased had gone for the Haj through a privately- sponsored group, he said. A woman from the state was among those injured, he added. Meanwhile, a woman pilgrim from Hyderabad identified as <g data-gr-id="54">Bi Bi</g> <g data-gr-id="55">Jaan,</g> was also killed in the stampede, S A Shukoor, special officer of Telangana State Haj Committee said. Jaan had gone on the pilgrimage with her husband and two other relatives on September 2. She was caught up in the stampede and died at a hospital in Mina, he said.

Indian Haj mission doctors were deployed in all government hospitals in Mina and Mecca to ascertain if there were any Indian casualties, the Consulate said in a statement adding it was continuously monitoring the situation.

The pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam that should be performed at least once in <g data-gr-id="52">lifetime</g> by every Muslim who is financially and physically capable. Two days back the pilgrims had moved to tent-city of Mina from Mecca to perform the Haj. They prayed in Arafat, where Prophet Mohammad delivered the last Haj sermon nearly 1400 years ago.