JEDDAH, 15 February 2003 — More than 25,000 pilgrims, including children, women and the elderly, got lost at the holy sites during Haj.
“About 75 percent of them were handed over either to pilgrim guides or to their relatives, while the remaining are still waiting for their friends and relatives,” said the official in charge of the center for stranded pilgrims.
As many as 500 scouts were working closely with 27 centers for lost pilgrims in Mina, including one for children, set up by the Ministry of Haj.
According to Al-Watan Arabic daily, the center for stranded pilgrims had received 3,000 children.
“We handed over 90 percent of the children back to their parents,” the official told the paper.
The ID cards carried by the pilgrims helped the officials and scouts to locate their tents and camps.
“We record all information about the pilgrim and the name of his or her Tawafa organization. Then a scout takes them back to their camp,” he explained.
The Tawafa organization must sign a paper on return of the pilgrim, and a copy of it is passed on to the Haj Ministry.
The official said the lost also included domestic pilgrims who were not carrying valid Haj permits.
A scout working for the center said they found an elderly Saudi woman and kept her with them for nearly 10 hours awaiting her relatives.“But when the relatives came she went missing again! It was very embarrassing,” he said.
The official said his center, located close to King Khaled Bridge, received a 22 year-old Saudi woman who stayed for four days.
“She was crying all the time. We informed all the centers. Finally, she rejoined her family,” the official added.
