Hajj pilgrims flock to Mina

MECCA, Saudi Arabia -- Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims have left this holy city for the plains of Mina at the start of the annual hajj pilgrimage (more on the hajj route).

The white-clad faithful, carrying mats and white umbrellas to protect them from the sun, left Mecca Saturday in thousands of cars and buses or on foot, heading for Mina 12 km (eight miles) away on a five-day ritual to retrace the route Prophet Mohammed took 14 centuries ago.

Police helicopters hovered overhead as policemen directed traffic and emergency services stood by for any incidents.

Highways and roads in the area were congested as vehicles advanced slowly among crowds on foot.

The Arab News daily said 53 Indian pilgrims had died from natural causes. All the dead were over 60 years old, it quoted Indian Consul-General Syed Akbaruddin as saying.

Despite a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit), pilgrims were clearly excited about starting the hajj.

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"I am very happy," said Ahmed, from Ghana, as he boarded a bus in Mecca. "I couldn't wait. This is a journey of a lifetime."

Every able-bodied adult Muslim who can afford the trip must perform the hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, at least once.

About two million Muslims from 100 countries will take part in the hajj, which symbolises the story of Abraham, seeking repentance, purification and spiritual renewal.

The pilgrims will spend Saturday night in tent camps at Mina, where Saudi authorities have prepared 44,000 fire-proof tents equipped with air-conditioners and safe cooking stoves.

They will pray, read the Koran or rest during the night before ascending to Mount Arafat after sunrise Sunday for the climax of the hajj. On Arafat, they will spend the day praying for forgiveness.

King Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah will move to the area Sunday to supervise the movement of the pilgrims to Arafat, the most grueling leg of the hajj, local newspapers reported.

Saudi officials said the haj, which has been marred in recent years by tragedies, was proceeding smoothly so far. Saudi Arabia has spent several billion dollars over the past decade improving facilities as well as roads and electricity networks.

The Saudi government does not announce the number of security forces it deploys in Mecca during the hajj, but it is believed to be in the tens of thousands.

Safety has been a key issue during the hajj due to the massive crowding.

In 1998, about 180 pilgrims died in a stampede while pilgrims were performing the "stoning the devil" ritual. A similar stampede in 1994 left 270 dead.

During the 1997 pilgrimage, fires driven by high winds tore through a sprawling, overcrowded tent city outside Mecca, trapping and killing more than 340 pilgrims and injuring 1,500.

Along with the fireproof tents, authorities have increased the numbers of rescue vehicles and provided safer cooking stoves.

The authorities will distribute 10 million bottles of mineral water and one million free meals to the pilgrims over the next two days. About 40,000 workers will clean up after the pilgrims.

Mecca's water department will pump 10 million cubic metres of fresh water, mainly for sanitation, over the next week, the dailies said.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

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