Fifty-four Nigerians have been confirmed to have died during
Thursday’s stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia NAN reports. The confirmation
was given by Alhaji Abdullahi Mukhtar, Chairman, National Hajj
Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Monday at a news conference in Makkah.
No fewer than 717 pilgrims died and 805 others injured in the
stampede when the pilgrims trooped to perform the ritual of the symbolic
stoning of the devil. Mukhtar said 61 other Nigerian pilgrims were
injured during the incident. He said 42 of the deceased pilgrims were
transported to Saudi Arabia by
state Pilgrims’ Welfare Agencies, while
12 came through Private Tour Operators
He said the deceased were from Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Cross Rivers,
Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Nassarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Sokoto, Yobe,
Taraba, and Zamfara. The chairman also said that out of the injured 61
pilgrims, 16 were transported by Private Tour Operators and the
remaining 45 by state Pilgrims’ Welfare Agencies.
He said the commission was still investigating to ascertain the
number and condition of some pilgrims who have gone missing after the
incident. MuKhtar said the commission had set up three committees to
condole with the families of the deceased, arrange befitting burial for
the deceased and to collate information from eye witnesses.
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