MILLIONS of people began arriving in the Saudi Arabian city Mecca yesterday for the start of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Muslims gathered in the holy city yesterday, with the five-day walk set to begin today.
The devotional holiday is the first since the tragedy on the pilgrimage route last year, when a deadly crush happened at Mina.
Those killed came from 36 countries, but the number of lives lost is disputed, with Saudi Arabia setting the figure at 769, but data taken from official and state news reports suggests it could top 2,400.
This year almost 1,000 new surveillance cameras have been installed at the Grand Mosque in Mecca to monitor crowd numbers and the symbolic Jamarat stoning will be subject to tighter controls.
Pilgrims are also set to wear electronic bracelets bearing personal and medical data to help them access medical care and aid identification.
Last year Habib Malik, director of the Scottish Hajj and Umrah Trust, told how his daughter was in Mina when the tragedy happened. He said: “It is difficult to put into words what it was like. Thankfully she was alright. The terror you feel is unbelievable.”
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