MAKKAH – The movement of pilgrims from Makkah to Mina was a smooth run despite Wednesday’s heavy downpour, said Lt. Gen. Nasser Al-Arfaj, deputy chief of the Haj Forces. “The movement proceeded as planned in the early morning Wednesday with no accidents,” he said.
The movement of pilgrims Thursday to Arafat would go as planned as well, he said.
Meanwhile, the Civil Defense cut off power in some areas of the tent city for safety reasons from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. Wednesday following a minor fire in a restaurant near the Jamarat Bridge. The Civil Defense took control of all rain-affected areas in the holy sites, said Gen. Saad Al-Tuweijiri, chief of the Civil Defense. All safety precautions have been taken to ensure a safe Haj as the pilgrims head to Arafat today, he said.
Some pilgrims said they would skip the traditional overnight stay in Mina valley because the rain had bottled up bus transport from Makkah.
Instead they planned to stay in the holy city and travel on Thursday morning directly to Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad gave his last sermon and where pilgrims are required to recite the Holy Qur’an and pray.
“We delayed going to Mina because of the heavy rain in Makkah. We were afraid of becoming sick,” said Iraqi Iyad Badawi, 40, undertaking the Haj with his wife. “We will go to Arafat directly after midnight” by bus, he said. – Okaz/SG with input from AFP