An estimated 53 Egyptians are still missing since the infamous Mina stampede, which occurred on 24 September, leaving at least 769 pilgrims dead in Mecca, according to Saudi Arabia, and over a thousand, according to other foreign sources.
Ibrahim El-Garady, whose mother and brother are missing, told Daily News Egypt Tuesday that there was nothing he could do but wait. His brother Sobhy, 39, has lived in Saudi Arabia for 15 years.
“Even his friends there cannot find him,” he said. Taraseem Abdullah, 65, the mother, was visiting her son, who took her to the pilgrimage. “Local authorities in Egypt have no information, and we have been told to wait for DNA results sometime by next week,” he added.
The death toll for Egyptians is gradually rising, so far reaching 181, according to the latest figures from the Egyptian Ministry of Religious Endowments.
It also published on its website Tuesday the names of the missing people, eight of whom travelled via the Ministry of Social Solidarity, six via the Tourism Ministry, four through the Interior Ministry, and the rest on their own.
The number of missing people decreases by the day and adds to the death toll, although some pilgrims have also been found alive.
Saudi Arabian authorities announced using DNA testing techniques to identify the bodies of the victims. The Egyptian Ministry of Religious Endowments supported Saudi official claims in handling the incident, denying “mass burials” or negligence.
