Gogoi expresses grief over Haj stampede

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today expressed grief at the loss of over 700 lives in the Haj stampede at Mina.

"This is a great tragedy, so many people have lost their lives during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca," Gogoi tweeted today.

"My sympathies are with the bereaved families and I pray for the eternal peace of the deceased," he added.

A total 14 Inidans died in the stampede yesterday, and another 13 injured in the second worst tragedy to hit the Haj after 1990, when 1,426 pilgrims were killed in a stampede.

The exact number would, however, be known after confirmation by Saudi authorities, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.