Foreign toll figures show haj tragedy deadliest in history

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The death toll from last month’s stampede at the haj has risen to at least 1,608, according to tallies given by foreign officials, making it the deadliest incident in the pilgrimage’s history.

Saudi Arabia has yet to provide an updated death toll after saying two days after the stampede that 769 Muslim pilgrims had died. Saudi authorities have also not provided a breakdown by nationality. Hundreds of pilgrims have also not been accounted for following the September 24 stampede at the haj, one of the largest annual gatherings in the world. But many foreign Governments have provided numbers on pilgrims killed from their countries shows the death toll has overtaken the 1,426 pilgrims who died previous incident — a tunnel stampede in July 1990.      

Daily Pioneer
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