Pilgrims returning from Mecca after Haj

    Jeddah: The number of Indians who died in Mina stampede on the last day of the Haj on January 12 has reached fifty-two. Indian pilgrims will begin their return journey home from today. The Indian Consulate in Jeddah has confirmed the death of 52 Indian pilgrims in the Mina stampede. The deceased included 28 women. The casualties also include two Indian residents in Saudi Arabia. The information pertaining to the deaths of the pilgrims has been conveyed to their immediate relatives in all cases, the consulate said. The Indian Haj Mission has so far issued 39 No Objection Certificates to the next of the kin of the deceased pilgrims to facilitate their burial in Makkah. The burial process, which started on January 14 is expected to be completed in the next three to four days after completion of formalities by the Saudi authorities, the consulate added. The number of missing pilgrims has been reduced to only two and efforts were on to locate their whereabouts, the consulate said.

   Indian pilgrims will board a total of nine flights (four of Air India and five of Saudi Arabian Airlines) to return home. The flights are expected to ferry back 2500 pilgrims to India. The first flight AI 5172 would leave for Srinagar. Two Saudia flights would operate to New Delhi, and one each to Ahmedabad, Chennai and Hyderabad. Air India would also operate one flight each to Jaipur, Kozhikode and Kolkata. All arrangements have been made by the Consulate General of India to facilitate smooth departure of Indian pilgrims at the Jeddah Haj Terminal. According to Saudi officials, a total of 354 people have died and 289 injured in the incident. Indian Government has declared grant of Rs three lakhs to the next of kin of the victims.

   Among 52 Indian deaths, 42 went to Mecca through the Haj Committee of India, four through private tour operators, and six undertook the pilgrimage on their own. The list of deceased people among those who went through Haj Committee of India: Sabiran Bano (UP), Akhtarnul Nisha (UP), Mohammad Shareef (UP), Mohammed Shabeer (UP), Zainab Khatoon (UP), Raushan Jahan (UP), Zaibunnisa (Maharashtra), Mahmoodha Bee (Maharashtra), Fauzia (UP), Seerat Fatima (UP), Abeda Shakeel (UP), Chowdhary Meraj Ashraf (UP), Kamal Ahmed (UP), Khatoom Begum (Rajasthan), Sarfaraz Ahmed (UP), Safrunnisa (UP), Mohd Bahuddin (Andhra Pradesh), Ruksana Begum (UP), Mohd Idris (UP), Moideen Kutty (Kerala), Immerumma (Kerala), Nisar Ahmed (UP), Farzana Khatoon (UP), Rahisa Bano (Rajasthan), Kachem Ali Sekh (West Bengal), Jamshed Ali (UP), Haneefunnisa Begum (Andhra Pradesh), Zaheera Bee (Andhra Pradesh), Salma Begum Pathan (Maharashtra), Mohd Abdul Shukur (Andhra Pradesh), Syed Yousuf (Maharashtra), Nasim Bano (Maharashtra), Azim Khan (MP), Raseedan Bee (MP), Kamrunnisa (MP), Aboobacker (Kerala), Mehraj Begum (Andhra Pradesh), Shammo (UP), Abdul Sattar (UP), Nazma Waheed (UP), Feroz Bee (Chattisgarh), Abdul Kareem (UP). Pilgrims who went from Private Tour Operators - Sheerin Bano (Gujarat), Malek Aslam Miya (Gujarat), Ruksana Banu (Gujarat), Patel Rafiq Yakub Bhai (Gujarat) Among the victim pilgrims who went on own - Ibrahim Falidad Bihai, Mongom Alamathil Sulaiman (Kerala), Md Alam Siddiqui (UP), Shaheda Begum (UP), Mohd Salim Ahmed, Kangadakadavan Hassan (Kerala).

   The stampede took place at around 2 p.m. (IST) in Mina on the last day of the Haj on January 12. The incident took place when the pilgrims were going for the ritual stoning of Shaitan (Rammi), at about 150 meters of distance from the Jamarat Bridge, on which stoning of the Shaitan or devil is done.

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