Taraba State government has disclosed that 11 pilgrims from the state are currently missing following the stampede that occurred on Wednesday in Mina, Saudi Arabia.
In a press release signed by Taraba State government and a copy of which was made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Jalingo it said that the state Amirul Hajj for the 2015 pilgrimage, Alhaji Abbas Ibrahim, the first class ruler of Zing lost his life in the deadly stampede at Mina in Saudi Arabia.
The release noted that the head of the 2015 medical team from the state, Dr. Adamu Hamidu Kara informed that one person was hospitalised following injuries he sustained.
The Kpanti Zing, Alhaji Abbas Ibrahim Sambo who died alongside his two wives were at the site of the Jamrat, where they were to fulfill one of the hajj rites of symbolic stoning of the devil.
The body of the late traditional ruler had been recovered and buried in Makkah on Friday.
The monarch and his two wives died on Thursday during a stampede that claimed the lives of over 700 pilgrims.
Efforts to speak with the Taraba State chairman of the state Muslim Pilgrims Board, Alhaji Hamman-Adama Tukur to get further updates proved abortive as his cell phones were not reachable.
More Sokoto Pilgrims Still Missing
Meanwhile a source from Saudi Arabia who prefer anonymity has confided in LEADERSHIP that they are still searching for some of the pilgrims from Sokoto State since the Mina stampede that led to the death of over 717 pilgrims.
The source who divulged that, he is not in the right position to confirm any casualty figure, however, stressed that, he is very sure that the casualties from the state might be higher than the nine whose deaths have been confirmed.
According to him, though, the pilgrims died a worthy death while performing Allah’s task, there is however, apprehension that, announcing their death might lead to psychological trauma in some families and needs to be properly managed.
Continuing, the source affirmed that, an immediate past caretaker committee chairman from Sokoto alongside two of his wives, mother and step-mother were among those who have been confirmed dead.
