AP Exclusive: Saudi hajj crush was deadliest tragedy ever

AP Exclusive: Saudi hajj crush was deadliest tragedy ever, One survivor of endure month's drove and charge at the hajj in Saudi Arabia recalled seeing so abounding bodies that he couldn't acquaint how abounding there were.The Associated Press approved to acknowledgment that question, accession at a afterlife assessment of at atomic 1,470. That fabricated the Sept. 24 adversity the deadliest blow anytime at the anniversary pilgrimage. And hundreds abide missing.

The AP calculation is 701 college than Saudi Arabia's official account of 769 dead and 934 afflicted in the Sept. 24 adversity in Mina, a few afar from the angelic city-limits of Mecca.

Saudi officials, who could not be anon accomplished for animadversion Friday, ahead accept said their account charcoal accurate, although an analysis into the causes of the tragedy is ongoing. Authorities accept not adapted their blow assessment back Sept. 26.

The agnosticism to accede a college assessment may reflect the leadership's reflex to catch down on advice as it struggles with assorted pressures. The commonwealth is ambidextrous with a war in Yemen, Russia's access into the Syrian battle and low oil prices that are abrupt the account — and the hajj tragedy is already aperture it up to aciculate criticism from opponents, decidedly Iran.

The antecedent deadliest-ever adventure at the anniversary hajj happened in 1990, if a charge dead 1,426 people. Stampedes and crushes are a above crisis at the hajj back it attracts added than 2 actor pilgrims a year, all affective accompanying in abutting abode through a amount of rituals over the advance of 5 days.The AP amount comes from statements and officials' comments from 19 of the over 180 countries that beatific citizens to the five-day anniversary pilgrimage.

Authorities accept said the drove and charge occurred if two after-effects of pilgrims converged on a attenuated road, causing hundreds of humans to asphyxiate or be trampled to death.

Mohammed Awad of Sudan told the AP at the time that he and his 56-year-old ancestor were afar in the blame and shoving. The 36-year-old crude after begin him animate beneath at atomic 10 bodies.

"You can't calculation how abounding bodies there were. They were ample high," Awad said.

Iran says it had 465 pilgrims killed, while Egypt absent 165 and Indonesia 120.
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