At least four Indians are feared to have been killed in the stampede during the annual Haj pilgrimage, on the outskirts of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, on Thursday. One victim was identified as Jaanbibi Majeed, 60, a resident of L B Nagar in Hyderabad. She had gone to Mecca on September 2 with three other women. Her son, Abdul Majeed, said she fell down in the stampede while the other three women are safe. Another Haj pilgrim from Hyderabad, Saba Begum Taslim, is also feared to have died in the stampede. “We have not received any authentic information so far because the relatives she went with left their phones in their housing quarters. A Saudi official called up and asked about Saba, and that is when we found out that something was wrong,” said Irfan, a relative. READ: Kerala man killed in Mecca stampede Abdurahman, 52, who hailed from Chelambra in Malappuram but had been living in Riyadh for the last 25 years, is also reported to have died in the stampede. Abdurahman, who worked with a furniture firm in Riyadh, had left for the pilgrimage with his wife last Saturday. He has two sons and a daughter, said a family source in Malappuram. READ: 60-year-old from Hyderabad killed in Hajj tragedy, family to let Saudi officials bury her there Ruksana Bano, 50, a resident of Nagoriwad area of Shahpur in Ahmedabad, is reported to be the fourth victim. Her son, Wasim Nagori, 30, said he got a call from his father, who informed him about the tragedy. He feared that his aunt, Zohra Bibi, may also be dead, though there is no confirmation yet. “My brother Naeem, 35, is also missing,” said Wasim. His parents and other relatives left for Haj on September 16, and were due to return on October 27. READ: Eight worst hajj-related tragedies in Saudi Arabia Meanwhile, two pilgrims from Kerala were reported to have died due to natural causes. Aboobacker, 70, of Thalassery in Kannur, reportedly collapsed near his tent this morning. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Another pilgrim, Muhammed, a resident of Kodungallur in Thrissur, died in a hospital after suffering heart failure, according to his relatives. The Haj committees of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh said a total of 5,445 people had gone from the two states to Mecca this year. “A majority of them have called up their families and relatives here to say they are safe. We are waiting for reports from others who have not yet established contact,’’ said Prof S A Shukoor, Special Officer, Telangana State Haj Committee. “So far, we have not received any reports of casualties. We contacted several family members here and most of them have received phone calls from the pilgrims saying they are safe,’’ said Irfan Shareef, Assistant Executive Officer, AP Haj committee. The Kerala Haj committee chairman, Kottumala Bappu Musaliyar, said 6,570 pilgrims had gone through the committee, while the Gujarat Haj committee listed a total of 6,588 pilgrims.
