Thursday, September 24, 2015

Eight Egyptians Killed in Deadly Mecca Hajj Stampede, 30 Injured
Ahram Online
Thursday 24 Sep 2015

At least 717 pilgrims were killed and 863 were injured at a stampede during the hajj ritual in Mena, Saudi Arabia

Eight Egyptian pilgrims were killed in Thursday's deadly stampede during hajj ritual in Mena near Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the Minister of Endowments Mokhtar Gomaa said.

The minister added that the identity of the victims had been confirmed.

Gomaa said 30 other Egyptians were injured in the stampede. He added that the identity of 14 of the injured, who are being treated in Mena hospitals, had been determined.

Earlier on Thursday, Major General Sayed Maher, the deputy of the Egyptian interior minister responsible for hajj affairs, had announced that 30 Egyptians were injured in the deadly crush but could not confirm any deaths. Maher had said that two of the 30 Egyptians injured were in a critical condition.

Pilgrims had converged on the site of Mena just outside Mecca to throw pebbles at one of three walls representing Satan, the symbolic "stoning of the devil" that marks the last day of the hajj event, when the stampede occured.

At least 717 people were killed and 863 were injured in the incident, Saudi’s civil defense service said.

Almost two million pilgrims took part in the stoning ritual.

An estimated 62,000 Egyptians are performing the pilgrimage this year.

Saudi officials have not yet released a final count of casualties or details of the nationalities of the dead and injured.

One of the five major pillars of Islam, the hajj must be performed at least once in a lifetime by all Muslims who can afford the trip.

On 11 September, five Egyptians were among the 107 people killed when a massive construction crane crashed into Mecca's Grand Mosque during stormy weather.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/143302.aspx

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