Indonesia Criticizes Saudi Arabia for Hajj Disaster Response
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Indonesian officials are criticizing Saudi Arabia's response to the Hajj disaster in Mina, saying authorities in the kingdom prevented their diplomats from seeing initial data and blocked their immediate access to the dead.
The criticism from Indonesia, the Muslim world's most populous country, comes as its officials, as well as those in India and Pakistan, say Saudi officials gave foreign diplomats some 1,100 pictures of those killed in last week's disaster.
The Saudi Health Ministry's latest figures, released Saturday, put the toll at 769 people killed and 934 injured.
Saudi officials have yet to comment on the discrepancy in the toll, AP reported.
Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, an official in Indonesia's Foreign Ministry, said Tuesday that 46 of its pilgrims died in the Mina crush, while 10 were injured and 90 remain missing.
Hundreds of people died on Thursday when two large waves of pilgrims converged on a narrow road, in the deadliest event on the annual pilgrimage in a quarter-century, with some reports indicating the crush had been caused by Saudi police closing two road entrances because of a visit by VIPs to the nearby palace of King Salman, the Saudi monarch.
Around 2 million people from 180 countries participated in the Hajj this year. The pilgrimage is a main pillar of Islam to be undertaken by Muslims who are able at least once in their lifetimes.
