Death Toll in Deadly Saudi Arabia Pilgrimage Stampede Nearly Doubles

A new count of the deadly stampede during the Hajj holy week in Saudi Arabia last month shows that at least 1,453 people were killed during the deadly trample.

A recent tally by the Associated Press has found that 1,453 people were killed in the city of Mina, outside of Mecca, on September 24 during the holy pilgrimage of Hajj, in which thousands of Islamic pilgrims walk to Mecca.

The stampede broke out at this year's pilgrimage as participants walked to attend the "Stoning of the Devil" ritual in Mina.

The Associated Press' numbers are far higher that the death toll of 769 announced by the Saudi Arabian government last month. Saudi officials have maintained that this count continues to be accurate.

Following the deadly stampede, survivors recounted the horror to media outlets.

44-year-old Abdullah Lotfy, a pilgrim visiting from Egypt, said the stampede started due to overcrowding and an inability to breathe in the dense mass of people.

"I saw someone trip over someone in a wheelchair and several people tripping over him. People were climbing over one another just to breathe," Lofty recalled. "It was like a wave. You go forward and suddenly you go back."

The deadly stampede has increased tensions between Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries that argue the Saudis did not enforce enough security to ensure the safety of international tourists.

An editorial in The Nation newspaper in Pakistan argued that the Pakistani government is not putting enouh pressure on the Saudis regarding the stampede.

"The Pakistani government, which should be hounding the Saudis, is instead covering their tracks and in the process is showing incalculable apathy for the Pakistani pilgrims," the newspaper read.