Auwalu Umar
15 November 2009
Mecca — Two Nigerian pilgrims, one from Sokoto and the other from Plateau, have been crushed to death by a hit-and-run driver in Mecca while another pilgrim also knocked down is on admission at a hospital in Mecca receiving intensive medical treatment as a result of injuries sustained.
The pilgrims were hit by a high speed vehicle while crossing a road on their way to their residential quarters after prayers at Ka'aba, the grand holy mosque. The driver of the speeding vehicle ran away soon after the incident.
Leader of the Federal Government medical team to this year's hajj, Dr Ibrahim Kana, confirmed the incident. He did not however disclose names of the pilgrims, as according to him, he was yet to get their full particulars.
Speaking with newsmen on pilgrims' health update in Mecca yesterday, Dr Kana said the greatest worry of Nigerian officials in Saudi Arabia was the attitude of hit-and-run drivers and that nothing was being done to arrest the situation.
He did not say whether the officials had taken up the matter with Saudi authorities.
Hit-and-run cases occur daily in Mecca and Medina since the start of pilgrims' entry into the two holy cities. Many Nigerian pilgrims, especially those from the rural areas and old ones, have been fallen victims of Saudi reckless drivers who always run away after the act for fear of being arrested because of Saudi stiff penalty for any life lost, it was gathered.
The leader of the medical team equally blamed pilgrims for ignoring the overhead bridges provided for pedestrians who instead prefer to cross the busy roads. He urge pilgrim officials to continue to enlighten their pilgrims on road usage and other safety measures.
Kana disclosed that 10 other Nigerian pilgrims had also died of different ailments and that the deceased were from Nasarawa, Kebbi, Bauchi, Sokoto and Zamfara States.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
