New tally shows at least 1,621 killed in Saudi hajj tragedy

[Renew Deal]

Source: Washington Post

The toll in the deadliest tragedy to ever strike the annual hajj pilgrimage rose Wednesday to at least 1,621 people killed, a new tally showed, as hundreds still reportedly remain missing.

The Associated Press count is more than double Saudi Arabia’s official tally of 769 killed and 934 injured in the Sept. 24 disaster in Mina, a few miles from the holy city of Mecca. Saudi officials have not updated their tally since Sept. 26.

Officials in the Saudi health and interior ministries have not responded to recent AP requests for comment. On Sunday, Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal rejected the idea of sharing the administration of the hajj with other Muslim nations, raised by regional rival Iran, saying Riyadh considers it both “a matter of sovereignty” and a “privilege.”

The AP figure comes from state media reports and officials’ comments from 19 of the over 180 countries that sent citizens to the five-day annual pilgrimage.

Iran says it had 465 pilgrims killed, while Egypt lost 182, Nigeria 168 and Indonesia 126. Others include India with 114, Pakistan with 100, Bangladesh with 92, Mali with 70, Senegal with 54, Benin with 51, Cameroon with 42, Morocco with 33, Ethiopia with 31, Sudan with 30, Algeria with 25, Ghana with 12, Chad with 11, Kenya with eight and Turkey with seven.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/new-tally-shows-at-least-1621-killed-in-saudi-hajj-tragedy/2015/10/14/8740b3ac-7279-11e5-ba14-318f8e87a2fc_story.html

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Tragic

[MADem]

1. Double the earlier reports. Iran took a huge hit. nt

[Renew Deal]

3. As far as I can tell, the Saudi's didn't report how many citizens they lost.

So the number should be higher.

[MADem]

6. And they are saying Prince Salman is to blame, too..... nt

[shenmue]

2. ...

[mia]

4. What is the purpose of these killings?

as if there is an excuse

[Renew Deal]

5. Accident

Stampede

[MADem]

7. This was the hajj stampede, which came on the heels of the crane accident before the

pilgrimage days began.

I'm sure there are people in the Islamic world who would suggest that Allah is taking issue with the "improvements" made to the Grand Mosque and all the hotels built on the sites of some holy places.

The hajj is a huge moneymaker for KSA--but this accident and the crane crash took a lot of coin from the coffers...to say nothing of the horrible loss of life.

[jberryhill]

9. A failure of pedestrian control

Same as Who concert, but with a shit ton more people.

[roguevalley]

8. apparently, the king has rennovated the area and it is a death trap

this is so very sad. It must have been incredibly bad. Maybe two to three injured for each death. Sad, sad, sad.

[JI7]

10. i thought renovations were supposed to make it more safe/less dangerous

so the renovations actually made it worse ?

[JI7]

11. just looking at some of the pics of the huge crowds all packed together scares me

[CBGLuthier]

12. Five were killed from Mauritius which only has around 200,000 muslims.