Death toll of Indians in Haj stampede rises to 51

The number of Indians killed in the Haj stampede rose to 51 today as authorities identified six more bodies with 38 Indian pilgrims being treated for injuries in the worst tragedy in 25 years to hit the pilgrimage. According to the Consulate General of India in Jeddah, 46 Indians had died until September 28. By October 1, the death toll climbed to 51. Haj Consulate in Jeddah said the deceased included two pilgrims from Kerala, one each from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir. Saudi Arabia has put the overall death toll at 769. The number of injured in the tragedy stands at 934 while hundreds of people are still unaccounted for. King Salman has ordered the formation of a committee to probe the deadly incident during the five-day pilgrimage in which around two million people from over 180 countries took part. From India, 1.5 lakh pilgrims performed Haj. Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam that should be performed at least once in a lifetime by every Muslim who is financially and physically capable. The stampede broke out after two massive lines of pilgrims converged on each other from different directions at an intersection close to the five-storey Jamarat Bridge in Mina for symbolic stoning of the devil. It was the second major accident this year for pilgrims, after a construction crane collapsed on September 11 at Mecca's Grand Mosque, killing over 100 people, including 11 Indians.