JEDDAH, 24 January 2005 — Local pilgrims started returning home from Saturday night. By yesterday evening, a sizeable number came back to resume work after the Haj vacation.
Many returning pilgrims were eager to know whether Saturday’s flash floods in Mina had resulted in any casualties.
“Much after we left Mina, we learned that people were caught in the floods caused by torrential rains during the day,” a Thai consulate official told Arab News. “However, we’re relieved that the floodwaters receded within hours,” he said.
Some pilgrims said they were present in Mina when torrential rains caused floods. “The tent areas were in disarray and it took some time for the water-logged tents to be occupied again,” Ijaz Anwar, a Pakistani electronic engineer, said. “We were reminded of the devastation caused by tsunami in the Far East and South Asia recently when we saw the sudden floods engulfing us,” said Anwar who was in Mina when the flash floods occurred. We’re happy that our pilgrimage was a success,” he said.
Some pilgrims said they had difficulty returning as they took time to reestablish contacts with their relatives and friends who had accompanied them. “First, rumors spread about a stampede during the stoning ritual. Then they came up with another rumor about heavy casualties in the flash floods in Mina,” said Mohammed Pervez, a Sri Lankan employee of a carpet factory in the Jeddah Industrial City.
“We had a successful pilgrimage,” said Iftikhar Ahmed, an Indian who performed Haj with his wife.
Pilgrims said they found a number of vehicles stranded on the flooded roads on their way back. “Taking advantage of the situation, some taxi drivers charged three to four times the normal fare from the holy city to Jeddah,” Taha Casem, a Philippine supermarket supervisor, said.
Some residents who had performed Haj in the last five years chose not to head to the holy city for the annual pilgrimage this time. Instead they visited Madinah to pray at the Prophet’s Mosque.
“I spent five days in the holy city, but had to manage with temperatures that dipped beyond our expectations,” said Riaz Mulla, general manager of a media and computer company.
A couple from London who returned after the pilgrimage said they were still waiting for one of the suitcases they had checked in on one of the Middle East airlines. “I’ve had a terrible time with no clothes to change,” said the woman who identified herself as Rahima. She said she would now have to depend on one of her relatives in Jeddah.
Meanwhile, offices and establishments that were closed for the Haj are set to reopen today and tomorrow.
