Over 2,411 lost their lives in Hajj stampede, more than 3 times the figure acknowledged by Saudi Arabia

A new Associated Press counts shows that the
number of pilgrims that died in the September
stampede during the hajj in Saudi Arabia is at
least 2,411...three times the number of deaths
acknowledged by the kingdom.
The AP figures establish the September 24 crush
at Mina as the deadliest in the history of the
annual pilgrimage. It occurred just weeks after a
fatal crane collapse in Mecca.
Saudi Arabia rebuffed criticism from its regional
Shiite rival Iran and efforts by other countries to
join a probe into the deaths. And while King
Salman ordered an investigation into the tragedy
almost immediately, few details have been made
public since.
The AP count is based on state media reports
and officials' comments from 36 of the over 180
countries that sent citizens to the hajj. Hundreds
of pilgrims remain missing. The official Saudi toll
of 769 people killed has not changed since Sept.
26, and officials there have yet to address the
discrepancy.
The state-run Saudi Press Agency has not
mentioned the investigation into the disaster
since Oct. 19, when it reported that Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Nayef, who is also the kingdom's
interior minister, was "reassured on the progress
of the investigations." The crown prince is the
next in line to the throne and any blame cast on
the Interior Ministry, which oversees safety during
the hajj, could reflect negatively on him.
The ruling Al Saud family maintains its major
influence in the Muslim world through its oil
wealth and its management of Islam's holiest
sites. Like Saudi monarchs before him, King
Salman has taken the title of the Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques.
Authorities have said the Mina crush and
stampede occurred when two waves of pilgrims
converged on a narrow road, suffocating or
trampling to death those caught in the disaster.
Saudi Arabia has spent billions of dollars on
crowd control and safety measures for those
attending the annual five-day pilgrimage, required
of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life, but
the sheer number of participants makes ensuring
their safety difficult.
The hajj this year drew some 2 million pilgrims,
though in recent years it has drawn more than 3
million without any major incidents. Iran was
most affected by the disaster, according to the
AP count, with 464 Iranian pilgrims killed. Mali
said it lost 305 people, while Nigeria lost 274 and
190 pilgrims from Egypt were killed.
Others include Bangladesh with 137 pilgrims
killed; Indonesia with 129; India with 120;
Cameroon with 103; Pakistan with 102; Niger
with 92; Senegal with 61; Ethiopia with 53; Ivory
Coast with 52; Benin with 50; Algeria with 46;
Chad with 43; Morocco with 42; Sudan with 30;
Tanzania with 25; Burkina Faso with 22; Kenya
with 12; Somalia with 10; Ghana, Tunisia and
Turkey each with seven; Libya and Myanmar with
six apiece; China with four; Afghanistan, Djibouti,
the Gambia and Jordan with two each; and
Lebanon, Malaysia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka
each with one.
The second deadliest incident at hajj was a 1990
stampede that killed 1,426 people. The Sept. 11
crane collapse at Mecca's Grand Mosque, which
preceded the Mina disaster, killed 111 people.