TEHRAN: The first bodies of Iranians killed in a stampede at the Haj arrived home from Saudi Arabia on Saturday after a controversial nine-day delay and questions over the final death toll.

President Hassan Rouhani and other top officials laid white flowers on coffins at a sombre ceremony in Tehran for the 104 pilgrims — among 464 Iranians declared dead in the September 24 crush.

Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of incompetence in its handling of safety at the Haj, further souring relations already strained by the civil war in Syria and conflict in Yemen.

Read: Iran says return of Haj dead delayed

“If it were proved that some (authorities) were guilty in this accident, we will not forgive,” Rouhani said as the bodies emerged in red caskets from a cargo plane at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran.

The president was accompanied by the heads of Iran’s judiciary and parliament as well as the chief of staff of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office.

“Our language in this accident was one of brotherhood and respect and the language of diplomacy was used when necessary,” Rouhani said. “If needed, the language of authority will also be used”.

Also read: Iran's Khamenei demands Saudi apology for Haj deaths

Iran has been deeply critical of the slow pace at which the Saudi authorities have identified the dead.

More bodies were expected to be flown home later on Saturday but Iran’s health minister said not all of the Iranian dead had yet been found and many were thought to be lying unidentified in sealed containers.

“We hope with Saudi cooperation, we can find the bodies of these victims which might be among the corpses from other countries,” Hassan Hashemi told the official IRNA news agency.

Iranian families face a further delay in receiving their loved ones for burial as DNA testing has been deemed necessary.

“The ID tags on the coffins do not match the victims’ identities and the existing lists in Mehrabad Airport,” the ISNA news agency cited an unnamed official as saying.The tragedy will be marked with memorial ceremonies in Tehran and in provincial capitals on Sunday.

Explore more: Haj stampede death toll rises to 769, Iran denounces 'crime'

Rouhani called for a fact-finding commission into the disaster as all Islamic countries deserved to know the cause.

Khamenei, Iran’s supreme guide, demanded on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia apologise to the bereaved and to the world’s Muslims.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2015

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