A book on the tragic stampede in the Saudi city of Mina, near Mecca in September 2015, in which several thousand hajj pilgrims, including 469 Iranians, lost their lives, has been published.
Titled “Mina Tragedy, Recounted by Foreign Press and Media” it was released in the market on Sunday.
The book in Persian language, edited by the research office of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization, is distributed by Mash’ar publishing company, IRNA reported.
The 600-page book elaborates on the stampede and the deaths of thousands of pilgrims who suffocated or crushed in the melee.
The preface gives insight into the purpose of the book. “There are numerous news articles, reports and interpretations in the Arab and Muslim world about the 2015 Mina tragedy and what may have caused it. The interpretations are different and sometimes even contradictory.”
The book sifts through the proliferation of news articles and analyses published by the foreign media, trying to find the reasons of the incident. It also reviews the remarks of Saudi officials and eye witnesses.
The Mina stampede was the most tragic disaster in contemporary history of the hajj, and occurred as pilgrims were en route to the Jamaraat Bridge to perform the ‘Stoning the Devil’ ritual.
Saudi Arabia never released the correct figures of the death toll; but witnesses and experts estimate the figure to be as high as 8,000.
