Three Kenyans killed, 8 missing in Hajj tragedy

A Muslim man weeps after getting the news of his family members, who died in Thursday's stampede in Mina, at their residence in Ahmedabad, India, September 25, 2015. At least 717 pilgrims from around the world were killed on Thursday in a crush outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi authorities said, in the worst disaster to strike the annual haj pilgrimage for 25 years. [PHOTO/REUTERS]

 

Three Kenyans, all women, are among 817 Muslim pilgrims who died on Thursday following a stampede in Mina, just outside the Holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Eight other Kenyans are missing or are unaccounted for, according to the government and Muslim sources.

About 5,000 Kenyans attended this year’s pilgrimage, popularly known as hajj. Sources in Mombasa told The Standard on Saturday yesterday that two of those killed hailed from Garissa and the other from Nairobi.

We were unable to independently establish names of the victims but confirmed that the remains were buried in Mecca yesterday.

A Kenyan from Tana River County identified as Maalim Roba was discharged from hospital after suffering minor scratches.

The incident brings to four the number of Kenyans killed in freak accidents involving pilgrims this year. Aden Hassan Alio was among 107 people killed a fortnight ago when a crane collapsed on pilgrims at the Grand Mosque in Mecca in early September.

Reports indicate the Saudi Arabia monarchy has pledged equivalent of Sh28 million to the family of the late Alio. It is not clear whether other families of the three pilgrims will be compensated.

Speaking from Mina, Supreme Council for Kenya Muslims (Supkem) Organising Secretary Shariff Hussein confirmed that two of the deceased hail from Garissa while the other one is from Nairobi.

Minor injuries

“Death has struck again in the Holy Land and Kenyans are among the fatalities,’’ Shariff said. “We can confirm that three Kenyans died during the stampede and will be buried in Mecca this evening (yesterday).”

He said five Kenyan pilgrims cannot be accounted for. Two others who had earlier been declared missing after the accident have been found alive.

“The two had wandered away from the Kenyan tents and were later found to have gone to seek refuge at tents belonging to the Gambian pilgrims,’’ said the Supkem official.

The stampede was caused by surging crowds who rammed slow moving wheelchair bound pilgrims.

Washington Oloo, the director of Diaspora Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the government had received information that three Kenyan pilgrims died in the Mina accident.

“The information we have is that three Kenyans have been confirmed dead while eight others are missing and had not been accounted for by Friday morning,’’ Oloo said.

Saudi King Salmin bin Abdulaziz has visited Mina to console families of the dead and injured.