Sixty-year-old from Hyderabad killed in Hajj stampede, family to let Saudi officials bury her there

Watch video- Mecca Stampede: Death Toll Rises To over 700, Over 850 Hajj Pilgrims Injured

“My father-in-law, his brother and his wife also fell down in the stampede, but they managed to get up quickly and escaped with minor injuries,’’ he said. Since Jaanbibi’s husband is also there in Mecca, the family has taken the painful decision to let her be buried near Mecca only by Saudi authorities instead of bringing the body back to Hyderabad.

Haj Committees of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh said that this is the only confirmed death case. Haj Committees of Telangana and AP said that a total of 5445 persons have gone from both states to Mecca this year.

“A majority of them have them have called their families and relatives here to say they are safe. We are waiting for reports from others who have not yet established contact,’’ Special Officer of Telangana State Haj Committee Prof S A Shukoor said. Irfan Shareef, Assistant Executive Officer of AP HAj Committee said that all AP pilgrims are safe.

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“So far we have not received any reports of any casualties. We contacted several family members here and most of them have received phone calls from the pilgrims saying they are safe. Some people have not yet made contact yet. Most of the pilgrims were carrying their cellphones with them and immediately got in touch with relatives. But as the death toll is mounting, we are constantly in touch with our counterparts in Jeddah to get latest information,’’ he said.

Officials say that a large number of pilgrims on Thursday who gathered at Mina are from African countries, and from Iran. “The stampede occurred at Jadid Street in Mina. There were many Indians also but it seems a vast majority of those who were present in that street today are from Africa and Iran,” an official said.

“Most of the pilgrims who were near the stampede spot were from East and North African countries and also from Iran and some other Arab countries. A vast majority of Indians stay in Souq-al Arab street and Jawhara street and it appears that they were not among the pilgrims who were going on the path to stone the devil,’’ the official said.

Officials said that 5451 persons – 2963 from Telangana, 1819 from Andhra Pradesh, and 654 from Raichur, Bidar and Gulburga of Karnataka – have gone from Hyderabad to perform Haj this year.