Godson Irikefe
September 30, 2015 – The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria(NAHCON) says it has identified 10 additional dead bodies of Nigerians who died in the stampede in Mena, Saudi Arabia, bringing the death toll on the side of Nigerians to 64.
Head Public Relations NAHCON, Mallam. Uba Mena made the revelation while addressing journalists in Saudi Arabia.
He said that about 135 Nigerians sustained various degrees of injuries in the stampede.
“Out of those that died, 48 are from States Pilgrims Welfare Board, 12 from tour operators. Those that are missing are from states pilgrims board and 18 from tour operators. We have set up various committees to track those missing and we are not limiting the search to Makkah, Mina or Medina but the whole of Saudi Arabia as helicopters were used to airlift victims to the nearest hospitals with several hospitals used,” he said.
He said that the missing pilgrims are from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Ekiti, FCT, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Kwara states.
Others are Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara states.
Mena added that some of the dead pilgrims have been buried in Makkah but that if the family of any of the victims intends to have the body of their loved ones sent back to Nigeria, it would be at the expense of the family.
“The commission will do all that is humanly possible to assist families of the dead get a befitting burial for their loved ones but if they intend to have the body sent home, I don’t think the Saudi authority will pick the bills,” he said.
He said that over 200 Nigerians performing the Hajj are still missing.
