Head of the Caucasus Muslims Office Sheikhulislam Haji Allahshukur Pashazade thanked the governor of the Turkish Sivas Province for his timely assistance to the Azerbaijani pilgrims injured in a bus crash this week, the Turkish Haberler reported.
"On behalf of all of the Azerbaijani people, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone who has taken part in assisting the victims," Pashazade said in Turkey, where he arrived in connection with the accident.
During the accident, which took place at around 5:50 p.m. on Tuesday a one-way road in the Sarkisla district of the Sivas province, five pilgrims died, and 27 were injured. Seven were seriously wounded. Bodies of deceased were delivered to the homeland. The bus with license plate number 90-DS-393 was carrying 34 passengers.
According to police sources in Turkey, the bus driver lost control on a turn. As a result, the bus drove off the road and landed in a ditch.
This year, Azerbaijan has seen an unusually high number of pilgrims die during or after returning from the Hajj. Shamakhi region akhund Mustafa Mamishov died in a traffic accident on Monday on his way to Shamakhi after returning from the Hajj.
Seventy-five-year-old Jalilabad region resident Duha Mammadova also died at the end of a Hajj ritual.
Earlier, Khanbala Atakishiyev died in the Syrian city of Sham. His body was brought to Baku on Nov. 8 upon his family's request.
Sixty-eight-year-old Mafi Nazarov also died in Syria after making his pilgrimage to Mecca.
About 2,000 pilgrims from Azerbaijan committed the Hajj this year.