Fire forces 1500 pilgrims from hotel in Makkah

Addressing a joint press conference of the commanders of security forces taking part in Haj in Mina on Tuesday, Al-Shuwairekh said that the authorities have started legal action against 70 bogus offices engaged in cheating pilgrims.

Civil defense emergency personnel were among the first responders when a crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque on September 11, killing 111 people and injuring almost 400 others who had come for the hajj.

Muslims will gather at Mount Arafat on the Day of Arafah on Wednesday to observe the celebrations. Women must wear loose dresses exposing only their faces and hands.

Saudis, Iranians, Nigerians, Malaysians, Indonesians and Indians were among the dead. The train service is exclusive for Haj season.

About 100,000 police have been deployed to secure pilgrimage sites and manage the crowds, and authorities say they are on alert for possible attacks by extremists.

Little is publicly known about the structure of the Islamic State group in Saudi Arabia, such as whether militants in the kingdom have direct operational ties with the group’s leadership based in its self-declared “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria – or if they simply operate independently in the group’s name. This includes the kingdom being targeted by terrorist organisations, ‘ Turki told AFP.

He said that the ministry, under the guidance of Minister of Haj Bandar Hajjar, safely received the Yemeni pilgrims at Al-Wade’ah crossing post and provided them with all their requirements with regard to lodging and transportation.

Saudi Arabia is also at war this year, leading an Arab coalition conducting air strikes and supporting local forces in Yemen against Iran-backed rebels since March.

The capital Riyadh saw a jump in infections last month.

Saudi Arabia is the country worst affected by MERS, with 528 deaths since the virus appeared in 2012.

About 60 percent of pilgrims were transported to Mina on Monday evening, according to the Haj Ministry’s grouping plan.

About Haj and its missionThis year, as many as 1,60,000 fire-proof tents in Mina have been provided to accommodate the pilgrims, Due fire safety measure are available with an integrated net-work of water-pipes throughout the Mina valley.

After the stoning, the pilgrims will perform the ritual of animal sacrifice to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his only son, Ismail, to God.

They will spend today in their tents in preparation for tomorrow’s standing on Arafat, which marks the climax of Haj.

“Haj is where you see near-perfect synchronization among all government agencies, ministries and pilgrim establishments”, said prominent Saudi analyst Sami Al-Nwaiser.