Tehran, Iran, Sept. 27
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
The latest report says the number of Iranian casualties in the Sept. 24 stampede in Saudi Arabia's Mecca has risen to 144.
Some 85 Iranians have also been injured and 323 are still missing, Fars news agency reported Sept. 27.
The stampede occurred Sept. 24 during the Hajj outside the holy city in Saudi Arabia when the pilgrims were performing the symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing stones at three pillars. This year over two million pilgrims are performing the Hajj.
Deputy Director of the Iranian Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Hamid Mohammadi said a special committee was launched to transfer the dead bodies and the injured people to Iran.
Iran will hold talks with members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) during an emergency meeting of the Islamic body on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting to discuss a better handling of the Hajj rituals, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced Sept. 26.
Iran's Prosecutor General Ebrahim Raisi said on the same day that Tehran will sue Saudi Arabia in international courts over the death of Iranian pilgrims.
Iranian Minister of Culture Ali Jannati has been appointed head of an Iranian governmental team to travel to Saudi Arabia for an investigation into the incident.
But the Foreign Ministry announced Sept. 27 that Saudi Arabia has so far refrained from issuing visas for the team.