Nigeria’s Consul-General to Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Umar, said on Sunday that the six Nigerian Pilgrims who died in the September 11 crane crash in Mecca had been buried.
Briefing journalists in Jeddah, Mr. Umar said the bodies were buried on September 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 at the burial, said the bodies were buried after receiving invitation of the Saudi Authority.
He said the consulate and Nigerian Hajj officials were fully engaged in the burial arrangement that took place on Friday evening.
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 the 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.
Saudi Authority had announced that it would give 1m Riyals –about N53.1 million — to the families of each of the deceased.
Similarly, the authority announced that those who sustained permanent disability would also get the same amount while others with minor injury would get half of the amount.
The consul-general, however, said that the money would be given to relations of the deceased and other victims of the crash.
He said that the Nigerian government was impressed with the kind gesture of King Salman bin Abdulazeez, who donated the money to the families of the affected pilgrims.
Mr. Umar assured Nigerians and families of the victims that the money would be delivered to the right persons.
Six Nigerians were among the 111 pilgrims who died during the September. 11 crane crash at the Holy Mosque, Ka’aba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Another six Nigerians were also among the 321 pilgrims who sustained injuries during the incident.
