The President of Cuba Raúl Castro sent his condolences to King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia following the stampede which occurred during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mina and caused 769 deaths, reported diplomatic sources to PL.
A statement from the Cuban embassy in Riyadh noted that the Caribbean leader sent a message of condolences to the Wahhabi monarch, who is also Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques of Islam, for the tragedy which also resulted in 934 injured, according to official figures.
The Cuban President transmitted his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the regrettable event, which occurred on September 24, close to the Holy City of Mecca.
The stampede occurred as pilgrims headed toward Jamarat for the “stoning of the Devil” ritual, a point on the route between Mina and Mecca where three stone columns are located which symbolize the place where Iblis (Satan) tried to tempt the prophet Ibrahim to disobey Allah.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health updated the number of victims of the incident, the cause of which is currently being investigated.
The Hajj General Committee estimated that almost two million Muslims from more than 60 countries participated in the largest annual religious procession in the world.
