by Naglaa Ghonaim
Cairo International Airport’s different halls received return flights of pilgrims from the Holy Lands in Saudi Arabia over the past week after having performed the rituals of the pilgrimage this year. This season witnessed two disasters, the first was the fall of a construction crane operating in the surroundings of the Kaaba in Mecca, which landed in the outer part of the grand mosque and led to the death of a number of pilgrims. As the pilgrims were throwing pebbles as part of the rituals, a stampede occurred causing the death of a large number of them including 37 Egyptians, according to the latest available statistics.
Immediately after the arrival of the first flights carrying pilgrims at Cairo International Airport, we asked some of them about the organisation of this year’s pilgrimage. We spoke with Haj Ahmed Sayed, 54, from the Red Sea governorate, who arrived on board of EgyptAir flight No. 906, which arrived at Terminal 1 in the airport’s old building. He said he spent only 15 days in Saudi Arabia and that pilgrimage this year was excellent. Commenting on the Mina incident, he said it was due to the stampede of some pilgrims in narrow streets in the area surrounding the tents area and from different directions leading to deaths.
Haji Arafa Serag, 58, from Shebin El Kanater, who arrived on board of the same flight , praised efforts exerted for the convenience of pilgrims by the Saudis, noting that they were at the camp when some pilgrims died. Many interpretations of the incident were made there but the real reason behind it was not known. We heard that there are ongoing investigations into the cause of the accident, he added.
Haj Ibrahim Zaqzouq from Shebin El Kanater, who arrived on board of the same flight, said he was with a group of pilgrims with a tourist company and he had finished throwing pebbles and returned to the tents and they learned about the incident. He said he saw himself a large number of bodies lying on the ground immediately after the incident and the refrigerators were crammed with bodies.
Haj Mahmoud al-Mahmoudi, 40, said the official pilgrimage mission of the Egypt were caring for the pilgrims and they passed through tents to ask if there were any problems facing them.
Haj El Sayed Shaheen, 62, from Tanta, who was welcomed by his son arrived on board of the EgyptAir flight said the incident took place on Friday and there was strong wind at El Salam Gate and they were surprised after the crane fell after the Asr prayer leading to many deaths. The organisation was very good except for the high cost of some transportation for the pilgrims from one place to another. As for the Mina incident, he said there was over crowdedness and the pilgrims were moving back and forth in the same place causing a stampede that caused their death which reflected poor organisation at that time.
Minister of Aviation Hossam Kamal announced that EgyptAir, being the national carrier, is ready for the return of Egyptian pilgrims who were injured in the Mina incident any time they like and they will be given priority on return flights home.
Cairo International Airport and regional airports have completed preparations for the return of pilgrims whose first flight started on Saturday, he said, adding that coordination was reached with the Ministry of Interior for the travel of passport officers on board pilgrimage flights to finalize passports measures on board of the planes to facilitate such procedures for pilgrims.
Board Chairman of EgyptAir Holding Company Sherif Fathi said the company has provided all facilities for the convenience of the pilgrims in the return flights, which will continue until October 11 to transfer more than 70,000 lottery, charity and tourism companies’ pilgrims.
The company has already begun intensifying flights since Monday and until the end of the season from airports in Jeddah and Medina using wide models in the company’s fleet to accommodate more than 300 pilgrims traveling on board of EgyptAir, whether Egyptians, Africans or transit pilgrims from around the world as fast as possible.
Meanwhile, Head of the EgyptAir pilgrimage mission Adel Helal said EgyptAir has taken part in a meeting held at the consulate in Jeddah for the official mission led by Minister of Awqaf Dr. Mohammed Mokhtar Gomaa and the heads of groups and Egypt’s General Consul in Jeddah Ambassador Adel Al Alfi. The meeting, attended by EgyptAir Regional Director Ahmed Shaheen, covered coordination among all the missions for the convenience of pilgrims on the return flights at Egyptian airports.
