Mina, 09 Dzulhijjah 1437/11 September 2016 (MINA) – The Saudi General Authority For Statistics Saturday stated that the number of pilgrims exceeded 1,800,000 pilgrims until 5:00 PM of Altarwaiah Day.
Pilgrims are still arriving in Makkah through all its routes., it said.
The annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage started on Saturday in Saudi Arabia amid increased security measures – such as GPS bracelets – to avoid the recurrence of last year’s stampede which killed many hundreds of people.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, clad in seamless cloth, have since dawn been leaving the Saudi holy city of Mecca for the nearby plain of Mina, marking the beginning of the Hajj, SPA and DPA reported.
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They are to spend the night in the tent city of Mina.
At sunrise on Sunday, they will head for the Mount Arafat, around 20 kilometres east of Mecca, for a congregation that marks the climax of the Hajj.
Around 1.3 million Muslims have arrived in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, from at least 160 countries for this year’s pilgrimage, according to Saudi official figures. (T/R07/R01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
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