In remarks broadcast on Al Arabiya television on Monday, Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz al-Rabeeah said five pilgrims had died of the virus in the days leading up to and during the hajj rituals, which began on Wednesday. Around 1.6 million pilgrims came from abroad for this year’s hajj, the world’s largest regular religious gathering and a duty for all Muslims to perform at least once if possible.
Disease experts from the United States and Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, said there was a possibility that waves of the H1N1 flu virus spread by pilgrims traveling to and from Mecca for this year’s hajj could put pressure on healthcare systems around the world.
Saudi floods claim 103 lives
Saudi emergency services said on Sunday the death toll from floods that tore through the port city of Jeddah this week had risen to 103, with another 1,400 rescued, the state news agency reported on Sunday. Torrents of water inundated the Red Sea port on Wednesday after Saudi Arabia saw some of the heaviest rainfall in years.
Many of the victims were drowned or were killed by collapsing bridges and in car crashes.
Civil defense planes flew over the affected areas searching for missing people, the Jeddah authorities said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). No pilgrims attending the annual Muslim hajj pilgrimage 80 kilometers (50 miles) away in Mecca were among the dead, officials have said. Jeddah is the main entry point to the kingdom for pilgrims.
Newspapers have repeatedly reported on the poor condition of the sewerage infrastructure of the city, where many people live in unauthorized developments built on dry riverbeds.
