Ahlul Bayt News Agency -ABNA- In the worst hajj disaster in a quarter century, two huge waves of pilgrims converged Thursday on a street near a religious site in Mina, and around 2,000 people were crushed or trampled to death, while so many other were injured.
Following this tragedy accident Iranian Daily Shahr Ara conducted an interview with 'Haj Hamid Shaker Nijad', one of the survivors of the accident:
When the accident happened?
It was around 8 AM. We were in Mash'arul Haram, a place between Arafat and Mina. Pilgrims stayed in that place for one night and performed the especial rituals of this place. After that we moved toward Mina for Rami Jamarat. We were in our way to Mina but after a while the crowd stopped and didn't move anymore; all people were standing shoulder to shoulder so we were not able to move forward or backward. There was a deplorable condition, no water and no oxygen to breathe.
How long you were kept in this condition?
Maybe around 30 minutes; but if you were here you would understand that you can't stand a quarter under this weather in usual condition. The weather here is too hot so it is not even easy for you to walk and in this horrible condition the time going for you very slow.
How was the reaction of pilgrims in that situation?
Gradually a wave of fear began to rise in all people; we were feeling the fear of death. At first we were thinking that the way should be open soon, but there were high pressures on our chests and we have no oxygen to breath. Fear of death had caused some pilgrims to show certain reactions; some of them were shouting and trying to escape.
You mean there was no way to escape?
There was no way. We were so near to death so we made ourselves ready to die. All the people were in this condition but some of them could control themselves and the other couldn't. At that time Saudi police called on people to stay on their places and urged them to don't move; after that some African pilgrims decided to save their lives, so they pushed other people and tried to reach the tents by climbing them; these reactions brought more stresses among people and so many people were crushed to death under the foot.
As it is appear in the news and photos there were lots of people falling down on each other.
Yes, I saw how people being trampled underfoot in the crowd. There was no place to fall; so by falling of the first person, many people fell on him. I saw someone who was so crushed and all his stomach and intestines had spilled out.
Saudi government blames African pilgrims for this deadly disaster, what do you think about that?
Certainly it was Saudi's fault; they caused this tragedy by blocking the ways. They also did nothing for saving us for 3 or4 hours. We had no water; if there was a quick medical care the number of victims could never reached this huge amount.
How Saudis were carrying the corpses and the wounded?
It was terrible; very very terrible; they put live people and the dead on each other. They were carrying the corpses and the wounded people by trucks because there were not enough ambulances!!!
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