Nigeria’s Consul-General to Saudi Arabia Ahmed Umar said on Sunday that the six Nigerian Pilgrims who died in the Sept. 11 crane crash in Mecca had been buried and that the families of each of the deceased would be given 1m Riyals –about N53.1m — as announced by Saudi authorities. 

Briefing newsmen in Jeddah, he said the bodies were buried on Sept. 18, in a “specially designated cemetery’’ in Mecca, where all victims of the crash were also buried.

The consul-general, who led a delegation of the consulate and National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) at the burial, said the bodies were buried after receiving invitation of the Saudi Authority.

He said the consulate and NAHCON officials were fully engaged in the burial arrangement that took place on Friday evening.

He also said that the six Nigerian pilgrims that sustained injuries during the incident had received special attention, adding that some of them had been discharged while others were still in the hospital responding to treatment.

He said consulate had also organised officials of the affected states in the event of pay-out of the money recently announced by Saudi authority for the victims.

Saudi Authority had announced that it would give 1m Riyals –about N53.1m — to the families of each of the deceased.

Similarly, the authority announced that those who sustained permanent disability would also get the same amount while others with minor injury would get half of the amount.

The consul-general, however, said that the money would be given to relations of the deceased and other victims of the crash.

He said that the Nigerian government was surprised with the kind gesture of King Salman bin Abdulazeez, who donated the money to the families of the affected pilgrims.

Umar assured Nigerians and families of the victims that the money would be delivered to the right persons.

Six Nigerians were among the 111 pilgrims who died during the Sept. 11 crane crash at the Holy Mosque, Ka’aba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia while six other Nigerians were also among the 321 pilgrims who sustained degrees of injury during the incident.

(NAN)