Brunei Pilgrims All Safe
By Waleed PD Mahdini

Bandar Seri Begawan - All of Brunei's haj pilgrims are safe and well, and none of them was affected by a hotel fire in Mekah, the sultanate's Chief Haj Officer in Mekah, Talib Apong confirmed on the phone yesterday.

Speaking to TheBrunei Times, he allayed any worries and concerns amongst friends and family members back home, saying that all of Brunei's pilgrims were safe and well.

Quoting the official Saudi Press Agency, Reuters reported that a fire on Monday evening engulfed the basement of a hotel full of pilgrims preparing for the annual haj this week and helicopters had to lift some of them trapped on upper floors. Sixteen pilgrims were taken to hospital for treatment.

"All the Bruneian pilgrims were staying in hotels far away from the incident site," Talib said. He said that all of Brunei's haj operators, when asked_ by the Bruneian ambassador in Riyadh to double-check the conditions of the Bruneian pilgrims, confirmed that there was no cause for concern.

Talib further pointed out that all Bruneian pilgrims were now getting ready to perform the wukuf at the Plain of Arafat in the east of Mekah.

Haj pilgrimage is often wrought with some degree of anxiety and concern, especially with the news of fatal stampedes and hotel accidents that have plagued pilgrims in recent years. During the last haj season in earlier January this year, for example, 345 pilgrims were killed in a stampede with another 289 wounded.

Earlier last week, the Saudi government released information about the renovation works for a multi-level bridge in Mina aimed at reducing the risk of future stampedes. More than two million pilgrims were already in Mekah yesterday before proceeding to Plain Arafat on Saturday. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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