Magnitude of deaths in Mina tragedy good evidence of Saudi negligence

EghtesadOnline: Head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Saeed Ohadi said on Sunday that magnitude of deaths in Mina tragedy is the substantive evidence of the negligence of the Saudi government.

News ID: ۷۶۹۲۳۰

05 September 2016

According to IRNA, he made the remarks in a ceremony to commemorate Mina tragedy martyrs.

Ohadi said that there were three tragedies in the Mina incident: The first catastrophe happened when Saudi government deliberately blocked ways of the pilgrims and led them to the direction which resulted in the stampede.

Concurrently, he added, Saudis had blocked the other end of the path by fences which made the way highly tumultuous and eventually due to negligence of the Saudi government, the catastrophe happened.

If the Saudi government had provided appropriate emergency facilities, it would have been possible to save many of the victims, he added.

The official noted that Mina incident happened in Saudi Arabia when it was a two-day holiday and during the holidays many of the hospitals had not physician to give life-saving services.

He said that immediately after the stampede, the Iranian relief workers rushed to the scene, but, Saudi government forced them out of the scene, not allowing them to help the victims.

Ohadi said that each time the Iranian side tried to identify the martyrs, Saudi government somehow prevented them to do that and did not allow Iran to take the bodies out.

On the first meeting of Iranian Minister of Health and Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Red Crescent Society with Saudi authorities, the Iranians asked for coffin, but, the Saudis made objection to.

Ohadi said that the families who lost their loved ones will meet with the Supreme Leader in the near future and that preparatory works have been done in this respect.