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Haj: Trapped in the melee, again!

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Twenty-eight Indians, including 16 women, were among 362 pilgrims killed in the stampede during the symbolic stoning ritual during Haj in Mina near Mecca.

Fifteen Indian devotees were also injured in the tragedy and of them eight have been discharged from various hospitals, Indian Consul General Ausaf Sayeed said.

Reports from Dubai said one of the reasons for the accident was that pilgrims were new to the rituals and unaware of the danger of rushing forward. People come from different parts of the world and speak many languages, which makes communication difficult and even simple warnings on loudspeakers like "do not rush forward" are not understood, the reports added.

Stampedes have been a regular feature of the Haj. The worst incident took place in 1990 when 1,426 pilgrims were killed in the stampede.

In Picture: A sea of Muslim pilgrims waiting to stone the pillars representing the devil in the valley of Mina, east of the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Inset: Security forces and medics gather around bodies following the stampede..
Photograph : Muhannad Fala'ah/Getty Images/AFP Photo

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Names of the deceased
Names of the injured

Also See:
Pilgrims' Progress
'People were piling on each other'

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