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Roundup: Indonesia records more nationals killed in Hajj stampede

Xinhua, September 28, 2015 Adjust font size:

Indonesia, the country that has the world's largest Muslim population, recorded increasing number of nationals killed in the recent stampede during the recent Muslim's hajj procession in Mina, Saudi Arabia as efforts to further identify bodies were underway at the moment.

As of Monday, Indonesian task force of PPIH tasked to manage national hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia announced that 41 bodies of Indonesian pilgrims have been identified. That number was increased from 34 identified on Sunday and 3 announced shortly after the stampede on Thursday.

The finding of more Indonesian victims were confirmed after the PPIH scrutinizing bodies of pilgrims kept in Al Muaishim, Mina following reports filed in by Indonesian hajj group leaders about 225 Indonesian pilgrims under their supervision failed to show up in their tents after the stampede.

The PPIH with its team especially formed to respond the report conducted searches on those missing pilgrims, resulted that 82 who were still missing.

"We would continue the search thoroughly to explain the exact status of those missing 82 ones," The Hajj and Umrah Organizer Director General al Indonesian Religious Affairs Ministry Abdul Djamil said in Mina, Saudi Arabia on Monday as quoted by local media.

He added that among those killed in the stampede were Indonesian nationals working in Saudi Arabia. He said that 10 Indonesian pilgrims were treated in several hospitals in that country related to stampede.

The number of fatalities from Indonesia was feared to increase along with continuing checks on bodies kept in Al Muaishim, Mina.

The deadly stampede that killed 717 and injured 450 hajj pilgrims from across the world took place on Thursday morning when millions of hajj pilgrims swarmed on the road leading Jamarat building to conduct 'stoning the devils' procession in Mina, Saudi Arabia.

Indonesia has more than 168,000 hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that Indonesia would convey its official statement to Saudi Arabia government related to the event that killed Indonesian pilgrims.

"Later after all of the investigations into the incident was finished, after we get the exact number of fatalities (from Indonesia) we will talk about that. So far the number was still developing," the president said in Karawang, West Java on Sunday.

Ten Indonesian hajj pilgrims were killed and tens of others injured in the collapse of a crane in the Muslim's holy mosque of Masjidil Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia earlier this month.

The crane collapsed in a heavy storm which overwhelmed Mecca and surrounding area on Sept. 9, killing 107 pilgrims who conducted several rites in the Muslim's ultimate holy mosque. Saudi Arabia government provides compensation funds for those affected by the collapse of the crane. Endi