Over 244 Nigerians Still Missing as Hajj Death toll Hits 64

Death toll of Nigerian pilgrims yesterday hit 64 as the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) said in Makkah that 10 more bodies were identified, raising the toll from it previous figure of 54 to 64.

The commission’s Public Affairs Director, Uba Mana, said 244 pilgrims were missing while figures of the injured also jumped to 71 from 61 previously announced.

Mana said of the 64 dead pilgrims, 46 were transported to Saudi Arabia by state pilgrims’ welfare agencies and 18 by private tour operators.

Mana also said 12 of the 71 injured pilgrims were transported to Saudi Arabia by tour operators and 59 by state pilgrims’ welfare agencies.

He said the deceased were from Adamawa,Bauchi, Borno, Ekiti, Jigawa, FCT, Cross River, Gombe, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers Sokoto, Yobe, Taraba, and Zamfara.

Mana said: 

“We cannot declare missing Nigerians dead because you cannot confirm someone dead without the corpse.
“And because during the stampede, helicopters came around picking victims and taking them to hospitals, we have decided to extend our search to all hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“Kaduna all along said they had no missing pilgrims. But by yesterday, they called and said they cannot find six of their pilgrims.
“So the figure keeps changing; it may increase or decrease. Some of the injured have been treated and discharged.”

Meanwhile,President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday ordered NAHCON to account for every Nigerian in Saudi for Hajj.