Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2014-10-07

No serious injuries were reported after a mini stampede leading to the Jamarat in Mina, Saudi Arabia.

One hajee from Cape Town was also reported missing but has since been found.

“We had reports of our hujjaj yesterday that one lady and her husband were trapped in a little stampede before reaching the Jamarat in the narrow roads as the authorities at the time of Zawwal was controlling the crowds that wanted to throw at the Jamarat at the same time,” Imraan Saban from Khidmatul Awam told Radio Islam.

Saban said there were two South Africans involved in the mini stampede, one was hospitalized but has since been discharged.

“Alhamdulillah everyone is fine and okay, there’s no serious deaths reported, a few minor injuries and a few people hospitalized, but everything is in order,” he said.

Saban said the missing hajee was found with a Pakistani group in Azizia after getting lost at the Jamarat

“We found Maghdie Sali he is with Office Number 10. They phoned us from Azizia to say we can pick him up and he is quite safe,” said Saban.

“We were on our way to pelt Jamarat when the crowd started pushing and my wife fainted. The police got hold of her and kept her there on top and later took her away. Than everything went wrong,” Maghdie Sali told Radio Islam.

“I shouted after them I’m her husband, but they didn’t listen telling me ‘go away, go away.’”

After emerging from the crowd, Sali decided to head back to Azizia.

“I ended up sleeping last night under the stars,” he said.

President of the South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC) Shaheen Essop confirmed the mini stampede.

Essop reiterated that hujjaj must adhere to the times allocated for pelting the Jamarat.

“One also just needs to point out that it is unfortunate that our two hujjaj were caught up in the stampede since they had basically gone and pelted outside of the times allocated for South Africa.

(Twitter: @Faizie143)