Hajj Stampede: Death toll rises to 717 inclusing Nigerians

About 717 persons has been reported death and 863 injured at the Hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

According to the Saudi Civil Defence Service, the stampede broke out during the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual.

Several Nigerians are believed to have been killed in the stampede, which occurred in Mina.

A journalist with the Voice of American, Nasir Adamu el-Hikaya, revealed to Thisday, that many of the Nigerian victims were from Lagos, Kastina and Borno states.

He was quoted to have said:

“Many Nigerians are involved, I mean those killed and injured. The Chairman of the Borno State Pilgrims Board, Professor Tijjani Almiskin, a prominent Nigerian female journalist, Bilkisu Yusuf, and a member of the Nigerian medical team, Dr. Hafsat Shittu, were among many Nigerians killed in the Mina stampede.”

“As I speak to you (7.30 local time), officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria and health workers are still gathering the figures and we are waiting for the chairman of the commission to brief us.”