The Arabic-languagedaily al-Diyar saidin a report on Thursday that the convoy ofPrince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saudplayed a central rolein the deadly crush on the third day of the annual Hajj pilgrimage earlier in the day.
The report said that Salman, who had soughtto attend the huge gathering of pilgrims in Mina, a large valley about five kilometers (three miles) from Mecca,arrived atthe site early on Thursday accompanied by a hugeentourage.
The report said 200 army forces and 150 police officers escorted the prince.
The report said the presence of the prince in the middle of the population prompted a change in the direction of the movement of the pilgrims and a stampede.
The Lebanese daily further saidthat Salman and his entourage swiftly abandonedthe scene, adding that the Saudi authorities seekto hush up the entire story and impose a media blackout on Salmans presence in the area.
However, officials in Saudi Arabia have deniedthe report, calling it "incorrect." The Saudi health minister has blamedthe pilgrimsfor the tragedy. "If the pilgrims had followed instructions, this type of accident could have been avoided," Khaled al-Falih said.
According to Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization more than1,300 people, including 125 Iranians,were killedin thecrush. This as Saudi officials put the death toll at717 and the number of injured at863.
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"]
Saudi emergency personnel stand near bodies of Hajj pilgrims at the site where hundreds were killed and hundreds more were wounded in a stampede in Mina, near the holy city of Mecca on September 24, 2015. (AFP photo)[/caption]Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has declared three days of national mourning following the incident while urging the Saudi government to shoulder its heavy responsibility in the stampede and meet its obligations in compliance with the rule of righteousness and fairness.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia should be held accountable over the death of the pilgrims. He said that the fatal crush started after Saudi security forces blocked two streets while the pilgrims were walking towards the final ritual of the Hajj.
"We can by no means remain indifferent towards Saudi Arabia's irresponsible behavior," said Amir-Abdollahian, adding, The tactlessness on the part of relevant Saudi authorities to provide security for the pilgrims cannot be overlooked.
By Press TV
