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Monday 28 Sep 2015 - 21:36 Makkah mean time-15-12-1436
 Makkah (IINA) - Muhammad Aslam Nalakath, a 17-year-old Indian student, is still in a dismal mood following his inability to save more lives of pilgrims who were in death pangs during Thursday’s deadly stampede in Mina.
Aslam was among the few Hajj volunteers who happened to reach the scene of the stampede and engage in rescue operation within minutes after the tragedy occurred. He sustained injuries, a fracture to his left hand, but he engaged in the rescue mission. “The only relief for me was that I could take part in saving at least two pilgrims after pulling them out of a pile of bodies. My efforts to save the third pilgrim failed as I tripped after some bodies fell on me,” he said.
Aslam came from the southern Saudi province of Jazan to join the 1,700-member contingent of volunteers, fielded by the Hajj Cell of Kerala Muslim Cultural Center, the largest Indian expatriate organization in the Gulf. The mission assigned to Aslam in Mina was to accompany sick pilgrims to hospitals in the Hajj Cell’s ambulance. The Saudi authorities had instructed all available ambulances at the holy sites to rush in to the stampede scene. “The stampede occurred at a time when our ambulance was near the scene on Al-Jadeed Street while it was returning to Mina camp of Indian pilgrims after taking a pilgrim to hospital,” he said.
“Though disturbed by the horrific scene, I joined the security forces in removing several bodies and saving the injured pilgrims. “After mustering all courage, I shut my eyes for a while and climbed on some bodies to save those injured who were groaning with pain,” he said. The boy returned home only after most of the pilgrims had left the Tent City by Saturday evening.
Aslam thanked the security authorities for allowing the volunteers to take part in the rescue operation.
Volunteers from several other Indian organizations, including the Indian Pilgrims’ Welfare Forum, India Fraternity Forum, Hajj Welfare Forum of Jeddah and Makkah, and Risala Study Circle also joined in rescue mission. Aslam, a class 12 student of an Indian school, hails from Perinthalmanna in Malappuram district of Kerala. He is the eldest son of Firos Mansour, computer science professor of Jazan University, and Ayisha Jasni.
Aslam, grandson of Nalakath Soppy, former education minister of Kerala, seized the opportunity to serve as volunteer in place of his father who became sick just before the beginning of Haj. Mansour, who served as Haj volunteer for the last two years, said that his son Aslam always wanted to take part in volunteer missions and has exhibited extraordinary courage while carrying out his tasks.
HA/IINA
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