3 Nigerians Injured in Saudi Crane Crash
3 Nigerians wounded
The Saudi Arabia authorities yesterday began the process of identifying the 107 victims of Friday crane accident at the Holy Mosque in Ka’abah.
Thousands of pilgrims across the world had gathered in Makkah for this year’s hajj with some of them inside the Mosque when a crane being used for the expansion of the grand mosque crashed, killing 107 pilgrims and injuring over 180 others after a heavy rainfall and massive storms.
There has been apprehension in the Nigerian camp whether any of its pilgrims was involved. It was, however, unofficially learnt that three Nigerians were among the injured.
Saudi authorities confirmed last night that they had begun the process of identifying the victims before they are buried in Makkah as it is the tradition, and also promised to contact all countries that might have lost any of their citizen in the accident.
An investigative committee has also been constituted on the disaster.
Though parts of the Grand Mosque remained sealed yesterday, especially around the crane crash site, government officials said the annual pilgrimage will go on as scheduled.
Some of the pilgrims, however, wished they had died in the accident. “I wish I had died in the accident as it happened at a holy hour and in a holy place,” a pilgrim from Egypt told reporters.
Meanwhile, members of the Nigerian Armed Forces on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia have extended medical treatment to other Nigerian pilgrims in the Holy Land.
This was also as other pilgrims from respective Nigerian states benefitted from Hajj lecture organised by the Armed Forces in Madinah.
The Director, Islamic Affairs, Nigerian Army, Colonel Shehu Garba Mustapha, said it was part of their training that anywhere they found themselves, they protect Nigerians there.
Col. Mustapha, who is also the leader of the Armed Forces delegation to Saudi Arabia, said they did the above though they were not in Saudi Arabia to provide such services to pilgrims, but to members of the Armed Forces and their families on Holy pilgrimage.
He said 400 Armed Forces officers and personnel, including their families, were in Saudi Arabia for the 2015 Hajj exercise.
“Just like states, the Nigerian Armed Forces get allocation from the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) every year and we pay for the seats. This year, 400 of us, including over 10 Generals from the three services are on the Holy pilgrimage, including members of our family. Therefore, it is mandatory for us to provide medical care for our members, that is why we are here with our medical team. But, along the line other pilgrims who stay in the same house with us here in Madinah come for medical care and since they are Nigerians, we have to provide them with such care.