Mecca Stampede: Nigeria Death Toll Rises To 99, 42 Injured, 214 Missing
The death toll of those who lost their life’s during a stampede that occurred during this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia has risen to 99, with 42 injured and 214 others missing, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has confirmed.
The latest figure revealed by NAHCON, brings the total number of pilgrims affected in the stampede to 355.
A breakdown of the victims includes 73 deaths from the state pilgrim welfare board, agencies and commissions, while the remaining 26 were from the tour operators.
Advertisement
The Commissioner Planning, Research Statistic Information and Library Service (PRSILS) of the commission, Dr. Saleh Okenwa during an interview with reporters in Makkah on Thursday insisted that those missing cannot be declared dead, since identification of those affected were still being collated by the Saudi Arabia health authorities in conjunction with Nigerian and other health officials.
Okenwa said, “Those injured were 42, 41 from the state pilgrims and one from tour operators. The numbers of missing from the states were 96 males, 94 females and four males who were officials, totaling 194, while 10 males and 10 females were missing from the tour operators.
“Of those injured only seven remain in the hospitals on admission and receiving treatments and others were discharged.”
On whether the missing would be found alive, the commissioner said: “In the early days people expressed hope but the hope is weaning. We cannot declared those missing as dead since there is no evidence to state that they have been confirmed dead.”
