JEDDAH: Six Nigerian pilgrims were among the 111 victims of Friday’s crane crash at the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
“We lost six pilgrims — two males and four females,” Uba Mana, a spokesman for the National Haj Commission of Nigeria, told AFP on Monday. “We can’t say this is the final death toll because the situation is still unfolding. We are still visiting the hospitals and mortuaries in search of more casualties from Nigeria,” he said.
Mana said some 58,000 Nigerians were already in the Kingdom for the Haj out of 76,000 expected for this year’s pilgrimage.
“The rest will be airlifted in the coming days,” he said.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday sent “his heartfelt condolences to the families, relations and friends of the Nigerian victims of the crane accident.”
Buhari urged “Nigerians to join him in praying for the quick and full recovery” of the injured.
Meanwhile, according to Thai newspapers, two Thai nationals who could not be located after the crash were found at separate hospitals.
The Thai Haj Affairs Office announced that Tuanya-imah Na-nakhon had suffered leg injuries and Phisa Duangdol was injured in the neck, shoulder and back. Thai Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat offered condolences to the family of Wanida Sadi, 48, the Bangkok resident who died in the tragedy.
Vira said the four Thais injured in the accident were recovering and Kritsayapong Siri, chief of the Religious Affairs Department, was coordinating with agencies to aid them.
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