Members of Saudi Red Crescent tend to pilgrims who were victims of a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca in this handout picture published on Facebook account of the Saudi Red Crescent September 24, 2015 (Reuters)
Out of 48 Egyptian families looking for relatives missing since the deadly stampede in Mecca during the recently ended pilgrimage, only three families submitted DNA samples to compare with that of the unidentified dead, said Egypt’s Minister of Health Ahmed Emad on Wednesday.
Egypt's Minister of Religious Endowments Mokhtar Gomaa announced a day earlier that the number of Egyptian pilgrims unaccounted for has decreased to 86. The death toll of Egyptians, meanwhile, has increased to 148.
The latest figures released Saturday by Saudi authorities placed the total death toll of the Mena stampede at 769, with at least 934 injured.
During a press conference at the Egyptian cabinet headquarters, Emad added that 11 Egyptians are injured, state news agency MENA reported.
Emad explained that the date of Egyptian pilgrims who travelled through official groups are available and can be easily recognised, unlike those who were there on their own accord.
The stampede occurred on Wednesday 23 September as pilgrims converged in Mena, just outside Mecca, to take part in a ritual involving the symbolic stoning of the devil.
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