Filipino pilgrims in Mecca, Saudi Arabia are reportedly currently stranded in Muzdalifah, an open area associated with Hajj, the Philippine Embassy in Saudi said Wednesday, June 28.
The embassy said it is already acting on the situation, and has also called on Saudi authorities, including the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, and local ambulance services to respond to the incident.
Photo courtesy of Philippine Embassy in Riyadh
Various Philippine agencies that have offices in Saudi have also joined hands in ensuring the safety and well-being of Filipino pilgrims there, the embassy added.
"Filipino pilgrims are advised to keep calm and follow the instructions of the Saudi Hajj authorities," it said.
In a Facebook live post, Yusoph Mando, Commissioner of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, said Filipinos were stuck in Muzdalifah because the traffic in the are remains at a standstill.
That, Mando said, was preventing their service vehicles from fetching Filipino pilgrims and bringing them to other religious sites, which are Mina and Jamaraat, both located less than half-an-hour drive away from Muzdalifah.
Other nationalities are also reportedly experiencing the same distress, with some already feeling fatigued or dehydrated, Mando said.
The commissioner said he and his team were forced to walk to Mina, which took about an hour and a half, just to be able to check on the condition of the Filipino pilgrims.
"Kaya minabuti po namin itong i-live upang siguraduhin na ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay... upang hindi kayo mabahala. Hindi po natin ito pinabayaan at ginagawan po natin ng solution ito (We decided to give an update via Facebook Live to assure their loved ones and for them not to worry. We won't neglect them and we're finding solutions for this scenario)," he said.
The Muslim community is celebrating Eid'l Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice.