TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar, said three Indonesian hajj pilgrims remain missing in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. According to him, the Saudi authorities are exploring the chances that the three have passed and become among the many bodies left in Mecca and Medina.
Nasaruddin said the Saudi government has requested the DNA of the families of the missing hajj pilgrims. "So we can match them later, in case they match with the missing pilgrims," said the Minister of Religious Affairs during the press conference on the Closing of the 2025 Hajj Operational Organizers in Jakarta on Monday, July 14, 2025.
Although all official hajj officers have been disbanded, Nasaruddin stressed that the search for the three pilgrims, who suffer from dementia, will continue. He mentioned that both the Indonesian and Saudi Arabian governments have not set a time limit. "We are searching without a time limit," he said, adding that there are 2024 hajj pilgrims who remain hospitalized in Medina.
He also explained that the three elderly pilgrims with a history of dementia may have passed the health checks due to being healthy and fit while undergoing the screening.
However, due to the extreme temperatures in the Holy Land, their dementia resurfaced. "But when it's 50 degrees hot, it makes the dementia relapse for these three people," he said. Nasaruddin stated that the search for the three pilgrims has received serious attention from Prince Masyhur bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
The three missing pilgrims are Nurimah, 80 years old, from Palembang embarkation group 19; Sukardi, 67 years old, from Surabaya embarkation group 79; and Hasbullah, 73 years old, from Banjarmasin embarkation group 07. The head of the pilgrim protection (PPIH) in Saudi Arabia, Navy Colonel Harun Arrasyid, outlined the chronology of their disappearance.
Nurimah was reported missing since May 28, 2025, only two days after arriving in Mecca. She stayed at Hotel 614 with her group. Her whereabouts remain unknown.
Meanwhile, Sukardi, who stayed at Hotel 813 sector 8, was last seen on May 29, 2025. He was reported to be separated from the group by the pilgrimage guide and has not returned to his group until now.
As for Hasbullah, he was reported missing by the family on June 17, 2025. He stayed at Hotel 709 sector 7. "The family reported to us that Mr. Hasbullah left the hotel at 03:00 a.m. last Tuesday night. So, it's about four days ago," said Harun on Sunday, June 22, 2025.
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