MINA — Several eyewitnesses claim that the closure of Street 206 was the main reason behind Thursday's stampede in Mina that claimed the lives of 717 pilgrims, Makkah daily reported. The closed eastern part of Street 206 left pilgrims with no choice but to go left through Street 223 and end up meeting the thousands of people coming from the opposite direction of Street 204. The narrow pathway is surrounded by camps and does not lead to other nearby streets. In Mina, there are over 10 streets that are not used for vehicular traffic except for catering purposes. These streets are used by pilgrims going to and coming from Al-Jamarat Bridge. Street 204 links Mina tents with Al-Jamarat Bridge and is used by the pilgrims in camps located on each side of the street. Vehicles are not allowed on the street. It merges into Street 406 running from Muzdalifah, which links Muzdalifah with Mina and Al-Jamarat Bridge. It is used by pedestrians and buses transporting pilgrims and is 1.5 km away from Al-Jamarat Bridge which was built 11 years ago at a cost of around SR4.2 billion. For the last 11 years no stampede has taken place at the bridge even during the time when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flock to throw pebbles at the same time. This is because the bridge was designed in a way that prevents overcrowding and stampede. It is 950 meters long and 80 meters wide with five 12-meter-high floors as well as 12 entrances and 12 exits.
