Pilgrim from city injured

A PILGRIM of Lucknow Sultan Ahmed got injured in the stampede during the stoning ritual at Mecca on Thursday. The family members of Sultan were worried after listening the news of injury to Sultan. Riaz son of Sultan Ahmed and resident of Indira Nagar area said, ?I was worried about my father as soon as news of stampede at Mecca was aired by various channels on TV.

A PILGRIM of Lucknow Sultan Ahmed got injured in the stampede during the stoning ritual at Mecca on Thursday.

HT Image

The family members of Sultan were worried after listening the news of injury to Sultan. Riaz son of Sultan Ahmed and resident of Indira Nagar area said, “I was worried about my father as soon as news of stampede at Mecca was aired by various channels on TV. I just tried to contact my father through various sources in Mecca but I received his call only in the night. In the meantime I just prayed to Allah for his safety.”

“He fell down twice during the stampede, but somehow managed to get up and walk away from the stampede site. He received first aid and went to the hotel from where he rang up,” said Riaz and added, “He went on Haj on December 29 and is expected to return on February 10. I don’t know how much he is injured but he is back to his hotel which is enough for me.”

The family members of 84-year-old Mohammed Abdullah, who has gone to Haj with his son Dr NU Alvi and daughter-in-law Daraksha Yasmeen, were a worried lot when the news of stampede at Mecca was aired on television channels.

Son of Abdullah, Dr Nusrat Alvi said, “I was worried about the well being of my father, who is on Haj for the third time, but presence of my brother and his wife was a blessing for us as my brother is a doctor. He would have been able to handle any sort of emergency. I had to hide the news of stampede at Mecca from my mother, as she is old and a heart patient. The television was switched off till I contacted my family there. My father was lucky as he opted to throw stones on ‘satan’ from the roof not from the basement where the maximum number of casualties have occurred.”

Naturally, I was anxious about their well being, I just prayed to God to keep them safe, as they have gone for a great cause. I am happy that they are safe and sad for those who have lost their lives.”

Ejaz Ahmed and his family were happy to have a call from their brother Zubair and his wife Kaneez Amina soon after the stampede in Mecca.