DDAH, Saudi Arabia: Rare, heavy rainstorms soaked pilgrims flooded the road and into Macca, snarling, Islam's annual hajj as millions of Muslims headed for the holy sites. The downpours add an extra hazard is the top of intense concerns about the spread of swine flu.
Pilgrims in white robes holding umbrellas, some wearing face masks for fear of the flu, circled Kaaba in Macca, the opening rite for the hajj. But the shrine - Islam's holiest site - and the nearby, rain-soaked streets did not see the usual 'Massive Crowds, because many tried to stay inside or nearby hotels were caught up in the traffic jams heading into the city.
In the past, the Rites have been Plagued by deadly stampedes caused by congestion as the Massive Crowds perform the Rituals - and Saudi authorities on Wednesday were clearly what concerned the rains could worsen the potential dangers. Civil authorities urged pilgrims to move cautiously and not to rush.
This year has brought the added worry that the Massing of more than 3 million people from around the world could bring a swine flu outbreak. For months ahead of the Pilgrimage, the Saudi government has been working with the United States' Center for Disease Control and Prevention to set up Clinics and precautionary Measures to stem any outbreak.
So far, four pilgrims have died from the H1N1 virus since arriving in Saudi Arabia in recent days, and 67 pilgrims have been diagnosed with the virus, the Saudi Health Minister, Abdullah al-Rabeeah told the Arab news network Al-Jazeera English.
Shahul Ebrahim, a consultant from the Atlanta, Georgia-based CDC at the hajj, said it was too early to tell if the rains could exacerbate the spread of H1N1, the flu virus.
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