The Muslim community in  Nepal remembered the victims of Hajj stampede in Saudi Arabia as they observed Bakr Eid on Friday.

More than 700 Muslim pilgrims, including five Nepalis, perished in a stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia, during the annual hajj pilgrimage on Thursday. According to the Home Ministry, 1,033 Nepali Muslims had left for the pilgrimage this week. Five of them have been reported dead, but the number of injured has not yet been confirmed.

“We are in regular contact with the people of hajj community, we are trying our best to find out the whereabouts of Nepali pilgrims,” said Laxmi Dhakal, the spokesperson at Home Ministry.   

Against the backdrop of the tragedy, the Muslim community of Nepal observed Bakr Eid while remembering those who lost their lives in Mina.

“The hajj stampede has saddened us very much. As we celebrated the festival, we also prayed for the departed souls,” said Manhur Hussain, secretary of Nepali Jame’ Masjid in Kathmandu.

The biggest mosque in the country, Jame Masjid was visited by around 10,000 male Muslim faithful on

the day.  Female members of the Muslim community could not attend the namaz (prayer) at Jame’ Masjid as the prayer hall for women was damaged in the April 25 earthquake.

Farid Khan, chairman of Jame’ Masjid, said a namaz space for women was created at Khulamanch. More than 3,500 female Muslims attended the ceremony.

The Muslim community in districts like Rautahat, Banke, Sunsari, Morang and Kapilvastu also thronged their local mosques and participated in namaz. They also prayed for the victims who died in the hajj stampede.