MAKKAH, 21 December 2006 — The weather forecast for Haj calls for a chance of showers before, during and after the annual pilgrimage. Considering this, Interior Minister Prince Naif has approved a general civil defense emergency contingency plan in the event of flooding during the current Haj season.
Suleiman ibn Abdullah Al-Amru, head of civil defense operations for Haj, said that the top priority for the plan is to ensure that pilgrims have a route of escape in the event of flood waters pouring down from the mountains around Mina, where most pilgrims camp out during the five-day ritual.
Measures in the contingency plan include a structure for inter-agency cooperation and communication in the event of a flood emergency; equipment preparedness, including boats, portable bridges and dive teams; a plan for expediting the drainage of floodwaters and securing or clearing loose boulders; a media campaign in the form of public signs to warn and inform pilgrims; establishment of flood emergency escape routes for pilgrims; and close contact with national meteorological authorities to get early warning of potentially strong precipitation.
55 Deaths, Six Births
There have been 55 deaths of and six births reported among pilgrims from India as of Wednesday morning, according to Dr. Mohammad Abrar Panwar, chief coordinator of the Indian medical mission in Makkah.
Panwar told Arab News that 42 of the dead were men. Twenty-seven of the total deaths occurred indoors, including hospitals and Indian mission branch offices. One death occurred in the Prophet’s Mosque.
One fatality occurred in a vehicular accident. Twenty-one deaths occurred in Mandinah and the rest in Makkah. The youngest Indian pilgrim to die so far was 35, while most were in their 60s or older.
Dr. Nadeem Siddiqui, who is in charge of India’s medical mission (which includes 12 clinics, nine ambulances, and 250 medical personnel) said a majority of the deaths occurred due to heart failure. Of the six births, four are girls. The first birth was on Dec. 5. A baby girl was born to Gulshan Jahan and Hafiz Mohammad Haroon, both in their twenties. The girl was named Habiba Khatoon.
During a stopover for prayer nearly a 100 km from Makkah, the mother started getting birth pains and the women in the group formed a secluded corner using bed sheets and delivered the baby. The parents said that they had miscalculated the birth and were expecting it to take place some time after returning from Haj.
“It is Allah’s wish and a gift,” said Hafiz. “Habiba is lucky to be born here. We have two daughters in India. One is 3 years old and the other six years old.”
