Saudi Arabia official said 1,028 Muslim
pilgrims were evacuated on Thursday,
when a fire broke out in a hotel in the city
of Mecca, a week ahead of the annual haj
pilgrimage.
Abdullah al-Harthi, Spokesman for the
Saudi Civil Defence agency, said in Riyadh
that two pilgrims were injured in the fire.
He said the cause of the blaze, which
started on the eighth storey of the 11-
floor building, was not immediately
known.
Pilgrims are due to start the haj rituals on
Tuesday, and they last through Sept. 26.
Meanwhile, Saudi authorities said 1.2
million Muslims had arrived in the kingdom for the 2015 haj.
Muslims are expected to perform the pilgrimage at least once during their
lifetimes if they have the means to do so