Iran Holds Funerals for Hajj Victims
Local Editor
Thousands of mourners attended funeral services in Iran on Sunday for pilgrims killed in a stampede during last month's hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
A ceremony at Tehran University was one of several held for dozens of victims whose remains were flown back to Iran the day before. Another 114 bodies arrived Sunday.
Iran has blamed Saudi authorities for the disaster, and mourners at the Tehran ceremony chanted "death to Al-Saud," referring to Saudi Arabia's ruling family.
Saudi authorities say 769 pilgrims died in the stampede near Mecca in the worst disaster to strike the annual pilgrimage in a quarter-century. Iran appears to have lost the largest number of pilgrims, with 464 dead.
Addressing a ceremony on Saturday to pay tribute to the victims of the Mina disaster, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said, "It needs to be made clear whether any individuals were guilty in this incident. If it is proven that a number of [Saudi] authorities are to blame for the incident, we will never forgive [those accountable for] the blood of our loved ones."
He added that Iran has so far pursued a language of passion, brotherhood, kindness and diplomacy, but will use the language of power if necessary.
The bodies of the remaining victims, some of whom have not been identified, are kept in a cold storage facility in Mecca. The bodies are set to be identified in Iran.
Iran has accused Riyadh of a cover-up, saying the total death toll exceeds 4,700. It has also accused Saudi authorities of failing to quickly grant access to the dead and wounded and of being slow to facilitate the repatriation of remains.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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