Did Mauritania Hajj flight crash off Red Sea?

PORT LOUIS: Mauritania’s Director of Hajj has refuted claims that a Mauritania flight carrying 210 Hajj pilgrims crashed off the Red Sea coast, while en-route to Saudi Arabia.

A social media post is doing rounds with the claim that a Mauritania flight carrying 210 Haj pilgrims crashed off the Red Sea coast, while en-route to Saudi Arabia.

According to the news website Ummid, Mauritania’s Director of Hajj at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, El Waly Taha has denied the claims and confirmed that all Mauritanian pilgrims are safe and had arrived safely in the Holy lands.

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Quoting Mauritania Airlines, Ummid reported that three scheduled flights on May 23, 24 and 25 safely transported all pilgrims to Makkah.

“Mauritania Airlines operated three flights for this year’s Hajj season and all three reached their destination safely,” read an official statement from the airline.

More than one million pilgrims from across the world have reached Saudi Arabia to take part in this year’s Hajj, officials confirmed.

Speaking at a press conference, Saudi Minister of Media Salman bin Yousef al-Dosari said that 1,070,000 pilgrims had arrived in the Kingdom by Sunday.

Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a deeply spiritual journey that draws millions of Muslims to Mecca every year. The pilgrimage involves a series of rituals performed over several days.

This year, Hajj will be observed from 4th to 9th June, coinciding with the 8th to 13th of Dhul Hijjah in the Islamic calendar.