PM’s focal person on the incident Dr Tariq Fazal says efforts are afoot to find missing Pakistanis; announces compensation. PHOTO: PID
Speaking to the state-run PTV on phone from Saudi Arabia, the minister said 62 Pakistani pilgrims were still missing and all out efforts were being made to trace them.
Earlier, Prime Minister’s Focal Person Dr Tariq Fazal said the number of Pakistani pilgrims killed in the incident was 40.
The pilgrims were killed in a crush at Mina, outside the holy city of Makkah, where over two million people were performing the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Fazal said 40 bodies of Pakistani pilgrims had been identified, adding the total death toll stood at 1100.
He reiterated that all out efforts were being made to locate the missing Pakistani pilgrims, saying Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia was personally visiting all hospitals and mortuaries to find out about them.
Read: 36 Pakistanis dead in Hajj stampede
“PM’s secretariat has the list of all missing people, which will contact their families and keep them updated,” he said. “Pakistani embassy has also uploaded pictures of all the pilgrims who lost their lives in the incident.”
Fazal said two helplines had been established by the government to facilitate the families and relatives of the victims, i.e. 042-111-725-425 for local and 800-116-622 for international callers.
Read: A stampede survivor's tale: 'I was pinned down'
Compensation
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced Rs500,000 for the families of the deceased pilgrims and Rs200,000 for those sustaining injuries, he added.
The focal person also announced that the injured will be provided best possible medical treatment in the country free of charge upon their return.
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