Iran holds funerals for victims of Mina

A large crowd of people attended the funeral ceremonies across the country on Sunday, 10 days after the tragic incident killed hundreds of pilgrims.

The bodies of 218 Iranian victims have so far been returned to the country by two separate flights.

The crush took place after two large masses of pilgrims collided at a crossroads in Mina, a few kilometers east of the holy city of Mecca, on their way to participate in the symbolic stoning of Satan in Jamarat.

Saudi Arabia claims nearly 770 people were killed in the crush, but officials with Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization say about 4,700 people, including 464 Iranians, lost their lives in the tragedy.

Iran says Saudi Arabia’s incompetence in handling the safety at the rituals caused the deadly incident.

Addressing a ceremony on Saturday to pay tribute to the victims of the Mina disaster, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said, “It needs to be made clear whether any individuals were guilty in this incident. If it is proven that a number of [Saudi] authorities are to blame for the incident, we will never forgive [those accountable for] the blood of our loved ones.”

He added that Iran has so far pursued a language of passion, brotherhood, kindness and diplomacy, but will use the language of power if necessary.

The bodies of the remaining victims, some of whom have not been identified, are kept in a cold storage facility in Mecca. The bodies are set to be identified in Iran.

/SR