Hajj Pilgrims from Padang Group 04 Arrive in Padang, Two Deceased in the Holy Land

Hajj pilgrims from Bengkulu Province, part of Flight Group (Kloter) 4 Padang (PDG 04) of the Padang embarkation, arrived at Minangkabau International Airport (BIM), West Sumatra, on Sunday night. The return of the pilgrims was marked by grief following news of the deaths of two members of the group in the Holy Land.

The Garuda Indonesia Boeing 777-300ER, flight GA3804, carrying the group from King Abdul Aziz Airport in Jeddah, landed safely at BIM at 19:13 WIB. Their arrival was directly received by the Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for West Sumatra Province, M. Rifki, alongside officials from the Hajj Organising Committee (PPIH) of the Padang embarkation.

M. Rifki confirmed that 386 pilgrims arrived. At the time of departure, Kloter PDG 04 was recorded as having 387 pilgrims; however, two pilgrims were reported to have passed away in Saudi Arabia. The deceased were identified as Tukiman Sandy Kromo Karso, 54, from Bengkulu City, and Mustina Abdul Basir, 66, from North Bengkulu Regency.

Additionally, one pilgrim, Nurhayati Aziz Nuh, 67, from Padang, was transferred into Kloter PDG 04 from Kloter PDG 12 and returned earlier due to health conditions requiring further treatment in Indonesia.

Rifki expressed high appreciation for the group officials who worked extra hard to accompany the pilgrims. It was noted that Kloter PDG 04 was supported by only two core officials—the Group Leader and a Religious Guide who also performed medical duties—alongside one official from the Hajj and Umrah Guidance Group (KBIHU). “We express our gratitude for the dedication and hard work of all officials. Despite the limited number of personnel, services were carried out well until the pilgrims returned to the homeland,” he added.

Hadi, a pilgrim from Bengkulu, expressed his gratitude for the smooth pilgrimage this year, noting an improvement in service quality compared to previous years. After undergoing documentation and a transit period of approximately four hours in Padang, the pilgrims from Bengkulu were flown back to their home region in the early hours of Monday.

To date, the total number of pilgrims from the Padang embarkation who have passed away in the Holy Land stands at 13, consisting of 9 pilgrims from West Sumatra and 4 from Bengkulu, with one death occurring on the aircraft.