CAIRO: Saudi Arabia has agreed to receive DNA samples from Egyptians whose relatives have been missing since Mecca’s stampede to compare them with the bodies of unidentified victims.
Egyptian Minister of Health Ahmed Emad announced he had received pictures and details of those killed and injured in the stampede to recognize Egyptian pilgrims.
A total of 83 Egyptian pilgrims have been confirmed dead in the stampede, which killed over 750 people in the pilgrimage season. Some 80 Egyptian nationals remain missing; meanwhile, a large number of dead victims of several nationalities have not been identified.
Although countries like Iran have harshly criticized the Saudi authorities after the incident, Egypt’s government and Al-Azhar have defended the Kingdom and praised its care of those injured.
Right ahead of the pilgrimage season, more than 100 people were killed after a crane fell over them in the vicinity of the Holy Mosque; eight of whom were Egyptian.
In the crane incident, Saudi Arabia vowed millions of riyals in compensation.