Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Four Malayalis among those killed in Mina stampede

Kerala Bureau

Thiruvananthapuram: Four Keralites were among the 27 Indians killed in a stampede during the symbolic stoning ritual at the Haj in Mina, according to the Kerala State Haj Committee (KSHC) and family sources.

KSHC chairperson and Kozhikode District Collector Rachana Shah told mediapersons that the committee had received information about the death of three pilgrims in the tragedy at the eastern entrance of Mina's Jamarat Bridge near Mecca on Thursday.

The deceased were identified as Aboobacker, 55, Thazhekunnath House, Nileswaram, Koduvally, Kozhikode, and Moideen Kutty, 63, and his wife Emmeri Umma, 62, Theeyattil, Parappuram, Palakkad. The fourth victim was identified as Pottammal Sulaiman (38) of Kondotty in Malappuram district.

Their funeral will be held at the Holy city as a customary practice of the community, KSHC assistant secretary Kunhibawa said.

Ongaloor village shocked

The people of Parappuram village near Ongaloor in Pattambi were shocked to hear about the tragic death of their neighbours Theyattil Moideen Kutty and his wife Emmeri Umma in the stampede. The news of the death of Moideen Kutty, a contractor of the Public Works Department (PWD), reached his relatives on Friday morning. They were members of a seven-member team that went for Haj from Ongaloor through the Haj Committee on December 17.

Their relatives said that they had contacted them from Mecca on Thursday morning. But in the evening, when the relatives tried to contact Moideen Kutty his mobile was picked up by other team members who informed them that they were missing.

Anxious wait

Since then the anxious relatives were trying to know their whereabouts. But early on Friday morning, the Haj team members confirmed that the couple died in the stampede.

This is the first Haj pilgrimage by Moideen Kutty and his wife. They are survived by eight children.

Pottammal Sulaiman of Kodapurath House belonged to Olamathil, Mongam, near here.

He was working in Saudi Arabia for 10 years as an aluminium fabricator, his family sources said.

Aboobakker is the son of Moyi of Thazhekkunnathu house in Nileswaram near Mukkom in Kozhikode district.

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