79 Indian pilgrims still missing, says consulate in Jeddah
By Sadaf Modak
Haj stampede: 76 Indians being treated in 17 hospitals
Identification process on, list on the website.
At least 79 Indian Haj pilgrims continue to remain missing after last Thursday’s stampede in Mina, which killed 769 people, including 46 Indians. Several relatives of the pilgrims continue to approach the Indian Haj Mission Office, which reports to the Indian Consulate in Jeddah.
“Several pilgrims were identified through the bracelets they were wearing, and their identity cards which had details of their passports. In cases where there is no such identification, we are comparing them to our database to check for resemblance.
Relatives are called to identify or photographs are sent for confirmation,” BS Mubarak, the Consul General of India in Jeddah, told Mirror. He said that there are 76 people admitted in 17 hospitals in Saudi Arabia which are also being checked to identify the Indian pilgrims.
Several Indian Hajis undertook the pilgrimage through private tour operators, which is making the identification process difficult.
Meanwhile, relatives of a couple from Gujarat – which is missing after the stampede -- got visas to visit Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Shabbir Sheikh, son of missing Malad resident Saleem Yusuf Sheikh, too will be travelling to Mecca as his request for a visitor visa has been accepted.
Haj stampede: 76 Indians being treated in 17 hospitals
Identification process on, list on the website.
At least 79 Indian Haj pilgrims continue to remain missing after last Thursday’s stampede in Mina, which killed 769 people, including 46 Indians. Several relatives of the pilgrims continue to approach the Indian Haj Mission Office, which reports to the Indian Consulate in Jeddah.
The consulate officials said that they were trying to identify the bodies, many of which are kept in mortuaries in Mecca.
“Several pilgrims were identified through the bracelets they were wearing, and their identity cards which had details of their passports. In cases where there is no such identification, we are comparing them to our database to check for resemblance.
Relatives are called to identify or photographs are sent for confirmation,” BS Mubarak, the Consul General of India in Jeddah, told Mirror. He said that there are 76 people admitted in 17 hospitals in Saudi Arabia which are also being checked to identify the Indian pilgrims.
Several Indian Hajis undertook the pilgrimage through private tour operators, which is making the identification process difficult.
Meanwhile, relatives of a couple from Gujarat – which is missing after the stampede -- got visas to visit Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Shabbir Sheikh, son of missing Malad resident Saleem Yusuf Sheikh, too will be travelling to Mecca as his request for a visitor visa has been accepted.
