The recent heavy rains that struck the holy sites led to the discovery of the decomposed body of a pilgrim who had died on a Muzdalifah mountain four years ago.
Makkah police spokesman, Lt. Col. Aati Al-Qurashi, said the body was found on Saturday.
Criminal investigation officers found the skull and bones of the dead pilgrim, which had fallen to the valley from a Muzdalifah mountain following heavy rains during the past two days.
“Forensic tests later showed that the body belonged to a pilgrim who died about four years ago,” he said, adding that an investigation has been launched to find out the man’s identity and the reasons for his death.
“While inspecting the body, we found a wristband, which is usually given to Hajis for identification purposes,” said the spokesman, adding the body has been kept at the King Faisal Hospital morgue in Shesha.
Bloggers who responded to the news urged the Civil Defense Department to comb the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah soon after the Haj season to find any stranded pilgrims or bodies.
However, one blogger said it would be difficult to find such pilgrims because of the mountainous terrain of Makkah and the holy sites.
“Security helicopters hover over Makkah and holy sites during the Haj season to report on accidents, criminal activity and traffic congestion,” he said.
(Source: Arab News)
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