Mufti Mohammad Sayeed seeks 'credible inquiry' into Hajj stampede

Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, on Saturday sought a credible inquiry to establish the number of devotees killed in the stampede during Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

Offering condolence to the bereaved families, Sayeed asked countries to desist from blame game.

"There should be no blame game. There should be an inquiry because lives of millions of people are at stake. I request, on the behalf of this House and as a concerned person who is associated with it, for a credible inquiry," the Chief Minister said in the state Assembly.

He also sought adequate measures from the concerned authorities to prevent such accidents in the future.

"Many consider it good to die there (Mecca). I request that there should be enough arrangements to ensure that such incident is not repeated," Sayeed added.

Last month's disaster was the worst to befall the pilgrimage since July 1990, when 1,426 pilgrims were crushed to death in a tunnel near Mecca. Both stampedes occurred on Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice), Islam's most important feast and the day of the stoning ritual.

At least 51 Indians were killed in the stampede.