India, Pak. say 1,100 killed in Haj disaster

Saudi Arabia has given foreign diplomats some 1,100 photographs of the dead from last week’s Haj crush and stampede, Indian and Pakistani authorities said, an indication of a significantly higher death toll than previously offered by the kingdom.

Saudi officials could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday night about the discrepancy in the toll of the disaster in Mina. The Saudi Health Ministry’s latest figures, released on Saturday, put the toll at 769 people killed and 934 injured.

Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, a lawmaker in Pakistan’s governing PML-N political party who is leading his country’s response to the disaster, said Saudi officials gave diplomats “1,100 photos” of the dead from Mina. Chaudhry told journalists during a news conference broadcast nationwide on Monday night that the photos could be viewed at Saudi embassies and missions abroad.

“This is the official figure of martyrs from Saudi officials, given for the identification process,” Chaudhry said.

“Saudi authorities have released photos of 1,090 pilgrims who have died in stampede,” Sushma Swaraj, India’s External Affairs Minister, wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

Indian diplomats and government officials declined to immediately discuss or elaborate on Swaraj’s tweet. It wasn’t immediately clear if other foreign embassies in Saudi Arabia had been given similar photographs.

Saudi authorities have said that the disaster began when two large waves of pilgrims converged on a narrow road last on Thursday during the final days of the annual hajj in Mina near the holy city of Mecca.