Mecca: Two Indians were among the hundreds who were injured in the tragic stampede during the Haj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mina on Thursday according to media reports.
Officials at the Indian Consulate in Jeddah have said that the two Indian pilgrims injured in the stampeded were from Assam.
The death toll has only been rising ever since the stampede was first reported. Saudi Arabia’s civil defense authority has said that at least 453 pilgrims were killed in what is being seen as the worst tragedy to have struck Mecca.
The Ministry of External affairs said that its mission in Jeddah is continuously monitoring the situation in Mecca following tragic stampede.
My condolences to the families who lost their dear ones today in an unfortunate stampede during Haj. May the departed souls rest in peace.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) September 24, 2015
Over two million pilgrims, including more than 1.5 lakh Indians, are performing the Haj this year. The civil defence authority said its teams on the ground are leading pilgrims to safer routes away from the stampede site through alternate routes.
The official Saudi Press Agency said more than 220 rescue vehicles had responded. Emergency teams were "working to ease the human congestion and give pilgrims access to alternative routes," it said.
TV footage from the incident site showed the ground strewn with injured people. Women and old men were seen screaming in horror at the site.
