I saw female Kaduna pilgrims fall – Survivor

A pilgrim who survived the Saudi Arabia devil stoning tragedy in Mina yesterday said he spotted some female pilgrims from Kaduna State falling and being crushed by the multitude during the stampede.

The pilgrim, who is among Nigerian security guard contingent, said although it was difficult to determine the number of victims, he was able to identify their state from their distinct scarfs.

He told Daily Trust on phone yesterday that another Nigerian pilgrim from Bauchi State barely managed to survive by holding on to a tent but spent four hours in coma afterwards.

“It was a very tragic incident. We counted about 300 dead and up till now (yesterday evening), more deaths are being reported from hospitals.

“It is difficult to identify the people involved because you are also being pushed from the back. You know since everybody wears the same white clothing, you can’t determine who they are. But each of the states has its own distinct scarf or tag. That is how I identified those females from Kaduna State,” he said.

Asked whether some Nigerians were among the injured, he said: “Not long ago, a Bauchi pilgrim who is our neighbour was brought back on a wheel chair. He narrowly escaped by holding onto to a tent after which he was unconscious for four hours. Actually, a lot of Nigerians are involved and a lot escaped. It’s so tragic.”

He added that many nationals, including Africans from Niger Republic, Ghana and Cameroon were among the victims.

A pilgrim from Kano State, Alhaji Auwalu Muhammed, also said they saw many people running to different directions, as Yemeni rebels launched an attack at the stoning area.

“When we heard that, we joined them running for our dear lives. We narrowly escaped. I saw many people on the streets unconscious,” he said.

But Alhaji Usman Musa, a pilgrim from Lagos State, said when he saw people running, he remained in one place to avoid being injured.