4 Indians Among 700 Killed in Haj Stampede: 10 Developments

Rescuers at the site of a stampede that killed and injured pilgrims in the holy city of Mina during the annual Hajj pilgrimage (Associated Press photo)

Mina, Saudi Arabia: Four Indians are reportedly among the 717 pilgrims who have died in a stampede at Mina outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Several Indians are among those injured.

Here are the latest developments in this big story:

An official of the Telangana State Haj Committee told news agency IANS that a woman from Telangana identified as Bibi Jaan from Ranga Reddy district near Hyderabad is among those killed. Over 800 people have been injured in the worst Haj tragedy in 25 years.
News agency Press Trust of India reports that a man from Kerala, Mohammed from Kodungaloor in Thrissur district, is also among those killed in the stampede.
While officials at the Indian Consulate in Jeddah said two people from Assam have been injured, PTI reported that a woman from Kerala is among those injured.
About one lakh Indians are among the two million people performing the annual Haj in Mecca this year.
"In my camp there were about 400 pilgrims. All of them are safe. But I am trying to make some calls and ascertain from other people," new agency PTI quoted Abid Rasool Khan, Chairman Minorities Panel, Andhra Pradesh as saying.
The stampede happened in a sudden rush of pilgrims on Street 204 of the camp city of Mina, a few kilometres from Mecca where pilgrims from across the world stay for several days during the Haj.
It happened during a ceremony when pilgrims "stone the devil" by throwing pebbles at three large pillars, said officials. Eyewitnesses said the stampede happened at the entrance of the Jamarat bridge near Street 204, not inside of the area where the stoning pillars are.
The Saudi Civil Defence said 4,000 people are taking part in rescue efforts and 220 ambulances and emergency vehicles are at the spot. Two teams of medical screening have been set up at the site of the incident.
This is the second major disaster at Mecca this month after over 100 people were killed on September 12, when a construction crane crashed on the Grand Mosque.
The pilgrimage, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, has been prone to disasters in the past. In 2006, 364 pilgrims were killed in a stampede during the stoning ritual in Mina, among them 51 Indians.