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Published 09 Oct, 2015 04:42pm

Mina stampede deadliest disaster ever to strike Haj, says report

DUBAI: A new tally shows last month's crush and stampede at theHaj was the deadliest event to ever strike the annual pilgrimage.

The Associated Press count Friday shows at least 1,453 people died September 24 in Mina near the holy city of Makkah.

Read: Eight of the deadliest Haj-related accidents over the past 30 years

That figure comes from statements and officials' comments from 19 of the over 180 countries that sent citizens to the five-day annual pilgrimage.

Tweet by Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj

Saudi officials have said their official figure of 769 killed and 934 injured in the disaster remains accurate. Their investigation is ongoing.

The previous deadliest-ever incident happened in 1990, when a stampede killed 1,426 people.

In the Sept 24 disaster, Iran says it had 465 pilgrims killed, while Egypt lost 148 and Indonesia 120.

Others include India with 101, Nigeria with 99, Pakistan with 93, Mali with 70, Bangladesh with 63, Senegal with 54, Benin with 51, Cameroon with 42, Ethiopia with 31, Sudan with 30, Morocco with 27, Algeria with 25, Ghana with 12, Chad with 11, Kenya with eight and Turkey with three.

Also read: At least 107 dead as crane crashes into Masjidul Haram

More than a hundred pilgrims were killed in a crane accident in Makkah's Grand Mosque on September 11, which resulted in the deaths of at least 107 pilgrims.

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