The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Sunday, October 12, confirmed that 145 Nigerian pilgrims died in the September 24 stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia with 35 injured and 165 still missing. Over 1,400 people over all have died.
Dr. Saleh Okenwa, the Commissioner, Planning, Research Statistic
Information and Library
Service (PRSILS) of the commission made this known while speaking with
reporters in Makkah at a joint press conference to evaluate the
operational
activities of the Hajj exercise
...and the update on the stampede with the Chargé d’Affaires, Nigerian Embassy in Riyadh, Ambassador Tijjani Hammanjoda and the Nigerian Consul-General to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Ahmed Umar.
He said that
of the 42 Nigerians injured, seven remained admitted in hospital
and were responding to treatment. Following the discovery of more bodies
of the pilgrims, the number of those earlier declared missing had
reduced from 214 to 165, Okenwa added.
The
Commissioner of Operations of the commission, Alhaji Ibrahim
Modibbo Saleh, said 29 of the 145 deaths were from the tour operators,19
males and 10 females. Of the 76,000 Nigerians who performed the
pilgrimage, 40,850 has been transported back to Nigeria.
While
fielding questions from newsmen, the Chairman of the commission, Alhaji
Abdullahi Mukhtar, said that the Nigerian mission in Saudi Arabia would
continue to monitor the seven injured pilgrims still on admission at
various Saudi hospitals even after the Hajj operation.
"We have consistently been monitoring them; the Nigerian mission in Saudi Arabia will continue to monitor them after the hajj operation until they are discharged," he said.
The chairman also debunked the rumour going around in Nigeria that the deceased were buried en masse. He said that the Saudi authorities took finger prints of the deceased and that DNA tests would be conducted on mutilated bodies to ascertain whether those declared missing were dead or alive.
"Blood samples of the deceased pilgrims already in Saudi Arabia were taken while that of those who do not have immediate members of their families here will be taken in Nigeria and transported to Mecca for the test," he stated.
"We have consistently been monitoring them; the Nigerian mission in Saudi Arabia will continue to monitor them after the hajj operation until they are discharged," he said.
The chairman also debunked the rumour going around in Nigeria that the deceased were buried en masse. He said that the Saudi authorities took finger prints of the deceased and that DNA tests would be conducted on mutilated bodies to ascertain whether those declared missing were dead or alive.
"Blood samples of the deceased pilgrims already in Saudi Arabia were taken while that of those who do not have immediate members of their families here will be taken in Nigeria and transported to Mecca for the test," he stated.
- (NAN)
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