Horror at the Hajj
Fear for Britons as more than 700 pilgrims die in Mecca crush
AT least 717 people were crushed and trampled to death yesterday in a stampede at the annual Hajj pilgrimage in the holy Islamic city of Mecca.
The Foreign Office was last night checking for British victims of the deadliest disaster at the event in Saudi Arabia for 25 years.
Rescue workers said at least 800 people were injured in the Mina valley, on the edge of Mecca, where a vast tented camp welcomes millions of visitors every three days. Officials said two million people were yesterday taking part in the Hajj’s last major rite, throwing stones at pillars representing the devil.
The tragedy happened as two groups converged on a road junction from different sides. The crush left bodies piled in the street beneath a baking sun.
Wheelchairs, sandals and water bottles were scattered over the ground as survivors – many seriously injured – waited for help.
Traumatised pilgrims, some stripped to the waist, looked on from the top of roadside stalls as rescue workers searched for signs of life. Videos and photographs showed them treating the wounded and taking scores of people to hospital.
The victims were dressed in the simple white garments worn for the Hajj – an obligation for all able-bod- ied Muslims – but many were now covered with blood and debris.
Saudi officials said the victims were of ‘different nationalities’, but gave no further details.
It is estimated about 25,000 British nationals head to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj every year, spending between £4,000 and £5,000 for a typical pilgrimage.
The stampede is the second disaster in the city this month, after a crane collapsed 16 days ago, killing more than 100 and injuring more than 200. Father- of- four Qasim Akram, 32, from Bolton was among the dead.
Last night, many Britons were facing an anxious wait to hear about their loved ones. A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘We are in contact with local authorities and urgently seeking more information.’
Sahri Jaffri, from Manchester, wrote on Twitter: ‘News of deaths during the Hajj pilgrimage stampede is making me worry as my mom and her best friend are there … Please pray for their safety.’ Imran Chowdhury, a restaurateur from Britain, added: ‘I have one of my best friends there with his wife; worried sick about [them].’
At least 90 Iranians died in the crush. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed ‘improper measures’ and ‘mismanagement’ by Saudi authorities were to blame for the deadly stampede.
‘The government of Saudi Arabia must accept the huge responsibility for this catastrophe,’ state news
‘Mismanagement by Saudi authorities’
quoted him as saying. But Saudi Arabia’s health minister Khalid alFalih blamed undisciplined pilgrims for the stampede, claiming it would not have occurred had they ‘followed instructions’.
Saudi authorities have spent millions trying to improve safety, including expanding the Jamarat Bridge, where pilgrims throw pebbles.
The Foreign Office urged worried UK relatives to call the British Embassy in Saudi Arabia on 0096 6114819100, or tweet @FCOtravel.