Tragic Incident Claims Lives of 3 Assam Hajj Pilgrims Pilgrims in Mecca, 2 from Barak

In a heartbreaking turn of events just a day before Eid-ul-Azha celebrations in India, two pilgrims from Barak Valley, Assam, lost their lives in a stampede during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The incident occurred at Mina’s crowded tent city on June 16, 2024, Sunday, during the ritual of casting stones, marking the final leg of the Hajj yatra. The three dead include one each from Cachar, Hailakandi and Barpeta.

Maulana Saif Uddin Barbhuiya, hailing from Borkhola area of Cachar district, and Saleha Begum Barbhuiya, from Chandpur village in Hailakandi district, were among the victims of the tragic stampede, who died on Sunday. They had embarked on their pilgrimage journeys from Guwahati and Kolkata respectively. Salaha Begum had died specially at the Mina Hospital in Mecca.

The pilgrims were participating in the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina, an integral rite of Hajj, when the unfortunate incident occurred. The mortal remains of the deceased are currently in the care of local hospitals in Saudi Arabia.

Their families and the community at large are devastated by this sudden tragedy, especially on the eve of the festive occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.