The September stampede during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia killed at least 2,411 pilgrims, three times the number of deaths acknowledged by the kingdom three months later, according to a new count.
The AP figures establish the September 24 crush at Mina as the deadliest in the history of the annual pilgrimage. It occurred just weeks after a fatal crane collapse in Mecca. Saudi Arabia rebuffed criticism from its regional Shiite rival Iran and efforts by other countries to join a probe into the deaths. And while King Salman ordered an investigation into the tragedy almost immediately, few details have been made public since.
The count is based on state media reports and officials’ comments from 36 of the over 180 countries that sent citizens to the Hajj. Hundreds of pilgrims remain missing. The official Saudi toll of 769 people killed has not changed since September 26, and officials there have yet to address the discrepancy. The state-run Saudi Press Agency has not mentioned the investigation into the disaster since Oct 19, when it reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who is also the kingdom’s interior minister, was “reassured on the progress of the investigations.”