Twelve killed in Sudan stampede over pilgrimage opportunities

June 23, 2013, (KHARTOUM) – Twelve people including 10 women were killed and 3 others injured in a stampede that took place on Sunday in Sudan’s eastern state of Al-Gedarif when a wall at school building used as registration site for pilgrimage collapsed.

The director of pilgrimage department in al-Gedarif state, Mubarak Al-shafei, said that the incident occurred at 3:00 am on Sunday, pointing that the reason for the stampede was the reduction in the authorized number of pilgrims from 920 to 737.

According to pro-government Ashorooq TV, the department of pilgrimage had moved the registration process to a school building seeking a larger place to accommodate the applicants but the huge crowed scrambled to get application forms which led to the collapse of the wall.

Registration procedures have stopped immediately after the incident and most of the applicants left the center in panic and shock, added Ashorooq.

Authorities in Al-Gedarif state began investigation, while some have criticized the pilgrimage department saying that the precautionary measures weren’t enough.

Saudi Arabia recently reduced the quota for Sudanese and other pilgrims to the hajj by 20 percent.

(ST)