77 die in Saudi floods
Reports say at least 77 people have died in Saudi Arabia and 900 were rescued after the heaviest rainfall in years
A spokesman for the Saudi interior ministry, Brigadier General Mansour al-Turki, said yesterday that none of the casualties were among the millions of pilgrims who are in Saudi Arabia for the haj. The four-day pilgrimage, which started on Wednesday, draws more than three million people from every corner of the globe. The downpours ceased yesterday but there were fears of more rain to come.
State-run media said Wednesday's deaths were in Jiddah, Rabigh and Mecca. The statement blamed the deaths on flooding and collapsed homes. The port city of Jiddah is the country's main entry point for the pilgrims.
