Six Muslim Filipinos failed to make it home alive after going to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, according to a report from the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
Those who died were Casana B. Dirimbangun, 64; Acmad B. Macacona, 59; Malik Maliga Daraba, 47; Faisal Dabpil Balatucal, 73; Akbar T. Kamid, 70 and; Haron Abilusa, 78.
“There were five males and one female, with ages ranging from 47 to 78 years old, who had various medical and surgical conditions that prompted emergency interventions from both the Philippine medical team members as well as their foreign counterparts in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia,” Dr. Esmael A. Abdul, head of the 2018 NCMF Hajj Philippine Medical Team, said in a Facebook post.
The pilgrims succumbed to different illnesses while performing the Hajj.
Muslims who have the financial and physical capacity must journey to Mecca once in their life to fulfill one of the pillars of Islam.
“May the pilgrims find eternal peace,” Dr. Abdul added.
