Jordanian pilgrims’ death toll rises to 99

As part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates’ efforts to follow up on the situation of Jordanian pilgrims who died while performing Hajj rituals and missing pilgrims, the Ministry’s Directorate of Operations and Consular Affairs announced that the death toll has risen to 99, with 21 others lying in Makkah hospitals, 16 of whom are in critical condition.

The head of the directorate, Sufyan Al-Qudah, confirmed that burial permits have been issued for the 99 dead pilgrims, who will be buried in Makkah upon the wishes of their families.

The coordination, according to Al-Qudah, is underway to transfer the 16 injured pilgrims to receive treatment in the Kingdom as soon as their health condition allows, and the Jordanian Consulate General team in Jeddah, which is currently in Makkah, visited all patients and checked on their health.

Al-Qudah explained that the concerned Saudi authorities have carried out the burial procedures of the deceased pilgrims, including washing the bodies, shrouding them, performing ?alat al-Janazah (funeral prayer) for them, and then burying them.

The concerned Saudi authorities have issued 81 death certificates for the Jordanian pilgrims so far, and work is underway to issue death certificates for the rest of the deceased, he added.

Al-Qudah noted that 97 Jordanian pilgrims have been found out of 112 registered among the lists of missing Jordanian pilgrims, according to the database prepared by the directorate since the loss and death of a number of Jordanian pilgrims began to be reported.

Al-Qudah also confirmed that the directorate and the team of the Jordanian Consulate General in Makkah are in constant contact with the families of Jordanian pilgrims who passed away and with the families of the missing.

Source:Jordan News Agency