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The Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria(NAHCON), Dr. Ibrahim Kana, on Monday disclosed that the number of Nigerian pilgrims who have died while performing the 2019 Hajj in Saudi Arabia have risen to nine.
Kana disclosed this in Muna while briefing journalists on the activities of the medical team of NAHCON for the pilgrims.
The latest pilgrim to die was the woman from Lagos State who died in the early hours of Sunday.
Kana said: “The deceased, a Lagos State pilgrim, collapsed at Jamrat and was brought to the hospital in Muna but died. She was hypertensive.”
The NAHCON chairman said that the commission opened 21 field offices in Muna with adequate drugs and ambulances.
He identified cough and hypertension as some of the health challenges facing the patients.
Meanwhile, the identity of the pilgrim from Lagos State who died in the early hours of Sunday at Jamrat has been revealed.
Speaking ealier with a correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Muna, the Lagos State Amir Hajj, Alhaji AbdulLateef Abdulkarim, identified the deceased as Alhaja Folashade Lawal.
He said that the late Lawal hailed from Oshodi Local Government Area of the state, adding that she slumped at 3 a.m. while heading to Jamrat to throw stones at the devil.
Throwing stones at the ‘three devils’ is one of the Islamic rites towards acceptable hajj.
It was learnt that NAHCON has fixed August 17 for the kick-off of the airlift of pilgrims back to Nigeria.