Iran’s Civil Defense Chief Blames Mina Tragedy on Saudi Mismanagement
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Saudi government should be held accountable for the Thursday crush that killed hundreds during Hajj, head of Iran’s Civil Defense Organization said, noting that the tragedy could have been averted with proper management.
In a message on Saturday, Brigadier General Gholam Reza Jalali blamed the “lack of planning and negligence in handling the Hajj affairs” for the tragic incident that claimed around 2,000 lives in Saudi Arabia’s Mina, near Mecca.
136 Iranian pilgrims have been pronounced dead in the crush so far, and more than a hundred others have been wounded.
Less than two weeks earlier, a massive construction crane had also crashed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque in stormy weather, killing more than 100 people, including 11 Iranians, and injuring 201 others.
Elsewhere in his message, Brigadier General Jalali said the Saudi government should accept responsibility for the incidents that have happened during the annual Hajj rituals.
He further explained that the Mina disaster could have been averted by proper management, unlike the crane collapse that had not been predictable.
The Iranian official added that the catastrophe highlights the necessity for cooperation among Muslim countries on planning the Hajj services and supervision of how Hajj affairs are run.
Yesterday, Tehran’s provisional Friday prayers leader also proposed that that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should manage the Hajj pilgrimage.
“The (responsibility to) manage the Hajj pilgrimage should be given to the OIC,” Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani said, adding that all Islamic countries should have a say in the management of the religious event and even deploy security forces to Saudi Arabia.