Missing Ghanaians Now 29

The Chairman of the Pilgrims Affairs Office, Ghana, Alhaji Abdul Rauf Tanko Ibrahim, in his October 5, 2015 update of this year's Hajj operations puts the number of Ghanaians on the missing list at 29.

He expressed dismay at the contradictions which occurred as information flowed back to Ghana about the casualty figures, explaining that at the time that his office put it at eight, Ghana's ambassador to Saudi Arabia said it was 13 according to information available to him at the time.

He described this year's Hajj as very demanding, saying that 'ever since the sad event occurred I have never been myself due to the inconsistency of information available to all participating countries all because of the magnitude of the casualties involved in the disaster.'

On how information is transmitted to Ghana, he said that 'Pilgrims Office constituted a search team, findings from which are scrutinised by the head of the medical team and in collaboration with the chairman after which the information is transmitted to Ghana.'

He urged all at home 'to pray for us because the number of casualties and those hospitalised and those missing keep increasing by the day. As at today (yesterday), 29 persons were missing and the number keeps rising. Seven persons died in the stampede, five died of natural causes and six are on admission in hospitals.'

The names of the missing are Kande Iddrisu, Awabu Abubakar, Rahinatu Iddrisu, Abubakar Grunpaa, Zulet Ibrahim, Abdul Sallam Abubakar, Zuwera Mohammed, Mamunatu Mohammed, Nuru Mohammed, Sadia Abubakar.

Others are Asana Abubakar, Meri Mohammed, Azumi Suleman, Hawawu Abdulai, Abibatu Abdulai, Shetu Seidu, Awusara Suleman, Habibatu Yakubu, Maria Seidu and Rahinatu Zakaria.

The rest are Aisha Abdallah Yahya, Adizah Alhassan, Ajara Alhassan, Amina Abudu, Amina Hudu, Anisa Alhassan, Alhassan Rashida Mohammed and Mohammed Sumani.

By A.R. Gomda