Saudi Mosque Tragedy: 6 Nigerians dead, four Nigerian females missing
Six Nigerian pilgrims were among the 107 killed after a construction crane crashed on worshippers at the Mecca Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia.
Four Nigerian pilgrims, all of them females, have also been declared missing. They are from Gombe State.
At least 200 people were injured in the Friday tragedy that has been blamed on stormy weather.
Alhaji Adamu Kargi from Kaduna State is among the dead pilgrims who are of Nigerian descent, the state’s spokesperson for the task force on Hajj, Saidu Adamu, said.
Kargi is from Kabau Local Government Area of the state, Adamu said in a statement issued in Mecca on Sunday.
The Nigerian government said it has warned it citizens not to go near the Grand Mosque until further notice.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) said 53,800 Nigerian pilgrims had so far been transported to Saudi Arabia as at Saturday.
NAHCON said more would be transported to the Islamic Holy Land before the Hajj deadline of September 18.
This year’s Hajj is expected to start on September 21.
A Saudi Arabia official said the tragedy would not stop the pilgrimage from going ahead as scheduled.
“It definitely will not affect the hajj this season and the affected part will probably be fixed in a few days,” the unnamed official said.
“Hajj will go on, for sure.”
