The International Committee of the Red Cross is ready to help the process of identifying the bodies of Iranian pilgrims who were killed in the September 24 stampede in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, during the ‘Stoning the Devil’ ritual, said Olivier Martin, head of ICRC representative office in Tehran. In a meeting with Ali Asghar Ahmadi, secretary general of Iran’s Red Crescent Society, Martin said the ICRC is prepared to assist Iran to identify Iranians who still remain missing, ISNA reported. While 465 Iranian pilgrims were confirmed to have lost their lives in the deadly crush, a number of the bodies have still not been identified. Ahmadi said the Saudi government must give an explanation for the Iranian nationals who have gone missing in the incident.
The bodies of 308 Iranian victims have been repatriated so far.
