Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 29
By Temkin Jafarov - Trend:
The number of Iranian pilgrims killed in a stampede in the Mina valley outside the Saudi city of Mecca, reached 228, ISNA quoted Said Ohadi, the chairman of Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, as saying Sept. 29.
Earlier on Sept. 24, a stampede occurred in the Mina valley, where Muslims were performing the Hajj rites. According to Saudi Arabia's official report over 750 pilgrims were killed and about 1,000 were injured in the crush.
Ohadi said there are over 1,200 bodies in the morgues in Mecca.
"A search group of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization has carried out inspection in those morgues and found the dead bodies of 169 Iranian pilgrims," said Ohadi. "All the necessary procedures have been already carried out to bring them [the dead bodies] to Iran."
He also noted that 248 Iranian pilgrims went missing during the tragedy, and there are 27 wounded.
"A search is underway for those missing," said Ohadi.
Edited by SI
