860 pilgrims die during Hajj in Mecca

A terrible tragedy has taken place today this morning in the Mina Valley near Mecca during one of the most important rituals of the Muslim pilgrimage, the stoning of the devil. For reasons that are not yet clear, two flows of people who were on their way to the rite from pilgrimage towns along two streets clashed in a confined area, causing a crush in which more than 860 people were killed.

On behalf of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef al-Saud an investigative commission has been formed in order to find out the causes of the crush during the hajj. The rescue operation is continuing. Previously, doctors of four nearby hospitals said they weren't coping with the growing number of victims and the authorities began to release hospital beds, evacuating the seriously wounded with the help of helicopters to other hospitals of the kingdom.

According to the Turkish television channel TRT Haber, the majority of those who were killed in the jam in Mecca were citizens of African countries. The head of the Office for Religious Affairs of Turkey (Diyanet), Mehmet Germez, said that there are no Turkish citizens among the victims in Saudi Arabia reported at the moment, but the fates of 18 people remain unknown.

There were no victims among Russian citizens, as the valley is divided into sectors. The incident occurred in the sector for citizens of Saudi Arabia, according to First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia (SMR), head of the Spiritual Board of Muslims (DUM) of the Moscow region Rushan Abbyasov. The information was confirmed by a representative of the Russian Consulate-General in Jeddah.

The rites of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to the great holy sites of Mecca and its surroundings, began on Tuesday. The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which every Muslim must make at least once in his life. This year the hajj is being performed by about 12 thousand Muslims from Russia. Last year the hajj was visited about 2 million pilgrims from all parts of the world.

In an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza, the chairman of the Islamic Committee of Russia, Heydar Jemal, said that today's events in the vicinity of Mecca aren't a tragedy, because Muslims believe that death in Mecca during the Hajj is a death in the name of god, which immediately opens the gates of heaven.