Iran Still Waiting for Permission to Repatriate Nationals Killed in Mina: Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The head of hajj affairs at Iran Airports Company (IAC) said Iranian airlines are ready to transfer the bodies of the country’s pilgrims who were killed in Thursday’s deadly crush in Mina, near Mecca, but Saudi authorities have not yet issued the required permission.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency, Manouchehr Sepasi said the exact date for flights carrying the bodies of the Iranian pilgrims has not been determined yet due to Saudi Arabia’s delay in permitting the flights.
“Mahan and Iran Air airlines are prepared to transfer the bodies of those killed in the Mina incident and we will do so as soon as the permission is issued,” the aviation official said.
About 4,700 pilgrims were killed in the crush in Mina on Thursday when performing religious rites. With the death toll rising, many pilgrims are still unaccounted for in the incident that marked the worst Hajj disaster in 25 years.
So far, at least 239 Iranian pilgrims have been pronounced dead in the disaster. This is while some 240 Iranians have gone missing.
The incident came nearly two weeks after tens of Hajj pilgrims were killed in another tragic incident in Mecca.
On September 11, a massive construction crane crashed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque in stormy weather, killing at least 107 people, including 11 Iranians, and injuring 201 others.
Hajj, the world’s largest annual gathering of people, has already witnessed numerous deadly crushes, fires and riots in the past.
Saudi authorities have come under fire for their inability to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who converge on Mecca every year.