Okaz/Saudi Gazette MINA — Street 204 continues to haunt the memories of those who were present in Mina last year when over 760 pilgrims died and hundreds others were injured following a stampede. The Ministry of Interior spokesman claimed that the stampede took place because of the pilgrims walking on Street 204 joined those who were taking Street 223. The high temperature resulted in the death of many. When pilgrims arrived here early Saturday, many of them headed for Street 204 to check it out. The street got crowded with pilgrims in a matter of minutes. Adel Najjar, an employee for a South Asian Tawafa Establishment, was close to the street when the stampede took place last year. He still remembers the accident vividly and how pilgrims, who were walking in groups heading for their tents, fell over one another and started screaming. He says he can never forget the scene. "Usually around this time of the year, the tents near Street 204 get crowded with pilgrims but this year most of the tents are still empty, which is a strange thing," he said. Sobhi Al-Batarji, a tawafa guide, explained how pilgrims are distributed in tents. The large groups are asked to share the same tents and move together to Arafat in an organized way. This year, he is responsible for Iraqi pilgrims. Al-Batarji also remembers the accident last year and was near the street at the time of the stampede. Fawzi Al-Anazi, who runs an awareness program supervised by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah, said many pilgrims approached him asking about the location of Street 204. "When they get to the street, they take pictures as souvenirs," Al Anazi said.
