FIRST HAJJ STAMPEDE ARRIVE IN IRAN

Tehran, 19 Dzulhijjah 1436/3 October 2015 (MINA) – The first plane carrying bodies of Iranian pilgrims killed in the Hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia arrived in Tehran, nine days after the disaster that escalated tensions between the two regional rivals.

President Hassan Rouhani and other senior officials were at the airport for Saturday’s arrival of the plane, which carried 104 bodies. State TV says another flight is due later in the day.

Saudi authorities say 769 pilgrims died in the stampede in the Mecca district of Mina in the worst disaster to strike the annual pilgrimage in a quarter-century, Aljazeera quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Medical sources had told Al Jazeera the death toll could be much higher. One medic at a Mina hospital said the toll was “definitely over a thousand”.

Iran appears to have lost the largest number of pilgrims, saying 464 of its nationals died  in the incident. (T/Imt/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)