Hajj stampede: Nigeria’s death toll rises to 145

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Sunday confirmed that 145 Nigerians were killed in the September 24 stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia.

More than 769 pilgrims from across the world were confirmed dead and 1,000 injured during the stampede on one of the roads leading to the Jamarat complex – the stone throwing site – in Mina.

Briefing journalists in Mecca, Saleh Okenwa, NAHCON’s commissioner in charge of planning, research, information and library services, said seven of the 42 injured pilgrims were still on admission at various hospitals in Saudi Arabia.

However, he said the number of pilgrims earlier declared missing had reduced from 214 to 165, following the discovery of additional corpses.

On the transportation of pilgrims back to Nigeria, Saleh Modibbo, NAHCON’s commissioner in charge of operation, said more than 60 per cent of the pilgrims, had been transported back to the country.

He said 40,850 of the 76,000 Nigerians, who performed the pilgrimage, had been transported back to the country, listing Kwara, Gombe and Nassarawa as the states of the pilgrims who are back in the country.

Modibbo said the various committees set up by NAHCON helped in processing the pilgrims’ documents and luggage.

While fielding questions from reporters, Abdullahi Mukhtar, chairman of the commission, said the Nigerian mission in Saudi Arabia would continue to monitor the seven injured pilgrims, still on admission at various Saudi hospitals even after the Hajj operation.

“We have consistently been monitoring them; the Nigerian mission in Saudi Arabia will continue to monitor them after the hajj operation until they are discharged,” he said.

Mukhtar said the bodies of the deceased had been buried according to Islamic rights, denying the report that deceased they were buried en masse.

He the Saudi authorities took finger prints of the deceased and that DNA tests would be conducted on mutilated bodies to ascertain whether those declared missing were dead or alive.

“Blood samples of the deceased pilgrims already in Saudi Arabia were taken while that of those who do not have immediate members of their families here will be taken in Nigeria and transported to Mecca for the test,” he revealed.

On victims of the crane crash, he said that the Nigerian mission had details on the affected persons, adding that “the mission is pursuing their cases until compensation is paid”.