News Focus - Mecca Accident Kills 2, Injures 42 Indonesian Hajj Pilgrims

Jakarta, (Antara) - The collapse of the contraction crane at Mecca's Grand Mosque, Saudi Arabia, on Friday evening killed two Indonesian Hajj pilgrims and injured 42 others.

"The number of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims injured in the accident has risen from 33 to 42," the Chief Organizer of Indonesian Hajj Pilgrims (PPIH) for Mecca Desk (Daker), Arsyad Hidayat said in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

The PPIH had earlier reported that two Indonesian Hajj pilgrims were killed in the accident and 33 others were injured. With the additional 11 victims, the toll of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims injured in the incident has risen to 42.

Of the 11 victims, 10 are currently being treated at the Saudi Arabia Hospital. They have been identified as Mudjianingsih Maktiran Hubait, Bachtiar Tara Saridano, Kariadi Abdil Muin Mahmud, Yanto Sugianto Subandi, Kamsanah Sari Kamsin, Surachman Karsun  Hasan, Iriani Widid Ningsih, Dewi Laila Mufida, Rubiah Muhammad Zailani, Maman Rahman Rahmat and Eniwari Muhammad Syari, who is being treated at the BPHI medical center.

Meanwhile, the deceased victims have been identified as Iti Rasti darmini and Masnauli Sijuadil Hasibuan, Hidayat said.

It has also been reported that the number of dead Indonesians might be six instead of two.

"Up till now, we have not yet received the certificates of death from the authorities," he said in response to the possibility of an increase in the number of deaths, based on a report which quoted a statement from an agency in Indonesia, which said there were four Indonesian Hajj pilgrims, who were killed in the accident.

The PPIH is currently sticking to its earlier death toll of two, the victims being Iti Rasti Darmini, with flight batch number 023 from the Jakarta-embarkation point and Masnauli Sijuadil Hasibuan, with flight batch number 009 from the Medan Embarkation point.

"In principle, we are sticking to the official document," confirmed Hidayat. However, he said he had contacted the flight batch chairman to check their members.

In the meantime, North Sumatra's Hajj organizing committee for the Medan embarkation said there were three pilgrims from North Sumatra, who had been killed in the accident.   

Imam Mukhair, the spokesman of the Medan Hajj organizers said three pilgrims from Medan had been killed in the accident, namely Masnauli Sijuadil Hasibuan binti Sijuadil Hasibuan (flight batch no. 9), Saparini Baharuddin Abdullah (flight batch no. 8) and Painem Dalio Abdullah (flight batch no. 8).

Hidayat acknowledged that there were four unidentified bodies that had been taken to the morgue. "We are not allowed to enter the building for identifying them," he said.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said the Indonesian Government was yet to confirm the number of dead Indonesian victims in the crane accident in Mecca.

"The death toll is still confusing, but it is obvious that there were some Indonesians among them," Anung said.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported on its website that the crane accident had killed at least 107 people and injured over 200 others.

Quoting Saudi officials, the Journal said the deadly accident occurred days before the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage that will see more than two million pilgrims visit the holy city of Mecca.

Government officials said a storm that rocked the city on Friday caused the crane's collapse, which caved in parts of the mosque, the world's largest, which was filled with pilgrims when the crane collapsed.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has offered his condolences to victims of the crane accident at the Masjidil Haram Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca.

"We are in mourning and offer deep condolences to the bereaved family members of the victims, including some prospective hajj pilgrims from Indonesia," President Jokowi said in a written statement made available to Antara in Jakarta on Saturday.

The same condolences were also conveyed by Vice President Jusuf Kalla. He  offered condolences over the hajj pilgrims who were killed when a construction crane fell at  Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Friday.

"Let me extend my deep condolences over the victims of crane collapse at the Masjidil Haram in Mecca," he said on his Twitter account on Saturday.

The accident left 107 people dead and 238 others injured. Among the victims were Indonesian hajj pilgrims.

Religious Affair Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said, while speaking during a live press conference held in Mecca on Saturday, that the injured remain hospitalized at Annoor Hospital and Hajj Healthcare Center in Mecca.

Meanwhile, the bodies of two Indonesians, who were identified as Masnauli Sijuadil Hasibuan, 59, and Iti Rasti binti Darmini, 57, were sent to Ayjad Hospital, also in Mecca.

Minister Saifuddin has also visited hajj pilgrims who had had been cared for at Annoor Hospital.

"Hopefully, they will be better soon and, of course, the government will be paying some compensation for both the injured and dead victims, as regulated in the insurance provisions which were assigned to each of our hajj pilgrims," Saifuddin explained.(*)