The Civil Defense Department has readied a fleet of advanced helicopters to take part in firefighting, rescue, search and reconnaissance operations during this Hajj season, Col. Jameel Muhammad Arbaeen, director of the department in Makkah, said yesterday. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Col. Arbaeen said his officers had inspected 5,176 buildings and more than 750 restaurants and hotels in Makkah to make sure they follow safety regulations. They also checked the safety condition of 51 tunnels across the city. "We have taken measures to improve the efficiency of our firefighting and rescue units," Col. Arbaeen said, adding that his department had deployed an adequate number of staff in various parts of the city. He said the department had also taken precautionary measures to deal with flash floods during the Hajj. He said Um Al-Joud, Hajj Street, Ghasala, Sharaie and Awali could be flooded in case of heavy rains. More than 2.5 million pilgrims including over 1.5 million from abroad are expected to take part in this Hajj, which begins on Jan. 8. According to Maj. Gen. Salim Al-Belaihed, head of the Directorate General of Passports, 883,954 pilgrims have already arrived in the Kingdom from different parts of the Muslim world by Tuesday. As many as 834,128 of them came by air, 34,862 by land and 14,964 by sea, he said. --MORE 12 04 Local Time 09 04 GMT
