Bodies of five more Iranian pilgrims who died in the Mina stampede on September 24 during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia have been identified, said Saeed Ohadi, head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrims Organization (IHPO). They were identified by the Iranian medical teams in cooperation with Saudi officials through fingerprinting and DNA tests, he said, adding that “teams are still working to identify the bodies of 28 Iranian pilgrims still missing,” IRNA reported. The bodies of 399 Iranians have been repatriated so far. At least 3,000 pilgrims of different nationalities died in the stampede, including 469 Iranians, during the hajj ritual “Stoning the Devil’ near Mecca. Several sources in and outside Iran put the casualty figure in the range of 7,000.
