Haj pilgrims death toll reaches 719

JAKARTA (JP): The number of Indonesian haj pilgrims who died in the Holy Land this year has reached 719, including a woman only recently known to have been killed in the mass stampede in Mina, near Mecca.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs said in its daily report yesterday that Sunarmi Sapawi of Mojokerto, East Java, died in the stampede on April 9, when thousands of pilgrims panicked on a bridge as they performed the jamarat, the symbolic stoning of the devil.

Two other Indonesians reported killed in the stampede were Asih Kartasentana and Mimi Sumiati Subandi.

The tragedy unfolded when many pilgrims, particularly the elderly and infirm, were trampled by a tightly packed crowd estimated at 700,000. Others fell off the bridge to their deaths.

The Indonesian consulate-general office in Jeddah reported that a total of 119 pilgrims died during the stampede.

In its most recent report, the ministry said the number of those who died in the arduous haj rites was 712. Apart from Sunarmi, those reported to have died recently were Ucup Suparta and Madsuri of Lebak regency, West Java; Arsyah of Palembang, South Sumatra; Uwarni of East Jakarta; Mulyono of Surakarta, Central Java; Thohir of Serang, West Java, and Umiyatun Wiryodarsono of Tegal, Central Java. (imn)