TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's official IRNA news agency is saying that some Iranian pilgrims still missing since a September stampede during the hajj may have been possibly buried in Saudi Arabia.
The Tuesday report quotes Ali Marashi, an official with Iran's Red Crescent, as saying it was "possible" that Saudi authorities may have simply buried the unidentified victims. Tehran says 36 Iranian pilgrims are still unaccounted for.
Iran, with 465 pilgrims killed, has repeatedly blamed the disaster on the Saudi government, accusing it of mismanagement and of covering up the real death toll.
An independent counting by The Associated Press shows at least 2,177 pilgrims from various countries were killed in the incident.
The official Saudi toll of 769 people killed and 934 injured has not changed since Sept. 26.