One Sudanese killed in Hajj stampede near Mecca

September 24, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese authorities announced today that one of their citizens was among the victims of the stampede that occurred near the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia said that 717 pilgrims were killed and more than 850 injured in the crush. 131 Iranians were among the dead, according to Iranian news agencies prompting Tehran to declare a three-day mourning period.

The Saudi health minister Khalid al-Falih, said in a statement that the stampede may have been caused by “some pilgrims who didn’t follow the guidelines and instructions issued by the responsible authorities”.

According to the director of the Sudanese Hajj and Umrah commission al-Motee’ Mohammed Ahmed, one Sudanese pilgrim died during the stampede while two others were injured.

He denied any link between today’s disaster and the death of two other Sudanese women stressing that they passed away before the stampede in Mina occurred.

He noted that the crush occurred near the camps of the Sudanese pilgrims which in the aftermath turned into an emergency site to rescue the injured.

This is the deadliest accident to occur during the annual hajj pilgrimage season since 1990 when 1,426 pilgrims suffocated in a tunnel near Mecca.

(ST)