Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has described as untrue, reports that 11 pilgrims from the state were among the 769 pilgrims killed in Thursday’s stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia. The Public Relations Officer of the board, Nuhu Badamasi, said the officials of the board were making concerted efforts to find out if any of “our pilgrims from Kano” were affected.


"As I am talking to you now, the board is yet to ascertain or confirm the number of those who died or were injured during the incident.nBut officials of the board here in the Holy land are still making effort to find out if any of our pilgrims from Kano were affected. People at home are worried since the incident happened and they just spread any piece of information on the incident reaching them," he said.

Already, officials in Sokoto have confirmed that at least 9 pilgrims from there died in the stampede while Taraba officials confirmed at least three deaths including that of the head of the hajj delegation from the state, Abbas Ibrahim.

At least 717 pilgrims were killed and 863 others injured on Thursday when a stampede broke out in the tent city of Mina as pilgrims were on their way to perform a Hajj ritual. However, since Thursday the number of pilgrims who died in the stampede has risen to 769 with the number of injured jumping to 934.