6 dead Nigerian pilgrims buried

Nigeria’s Consul-General to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Umar said on Sunday that the six Nigerian Pilgrims who died in the Sept. 11 crane crash in Mecca had been buried.

Briefing newsmen in Jeddah, he said the bodies were buried on Sept. 18, in a ``specially designated cemetery’’ in Mecca, where all victims of the crash were also buried.

The consul-general, who led a delegation of the consulate and National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) at the burial, said the bodies were buried after receiving invitation of the Saudi Authority.

He also said that the six Nigerian pilgrims that sustained injuries during the incident had received special attention.

He said some of them had been discharged while others were still in the hospital responding to treatment.

He said consulate had also organised officials of the affected states in the event of pay-out of the money recently announced by Saudi authority for the victims.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that six Nigerians were among the 111 pilgrims who died during the Sept. 11 crane crash at the Holy Mosque, Ka’aba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Six Nigerians were also among the 321 pilgrims who sustained degrees of injury during the incident.