MAKKAH, Oct 24: Nearly three million pilgrims started the first phase of Haj on Wednesday, travelling through packed streets from Makkah’s Grand Mosque to the enormous camp at Mina just outside the city.

In a dense sea of humanity, all clad in white ahram, the pilgrims who were unable to get onto a new rail link were packed into 18,000 buses provided by the city or perched on the roofs of trucks.

Others walked the 5km to Mina in late afternoon temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius.

The mayor of Makkah, Osama Fadl al-Bar, said he expected the number of pilgrims this year to be close to three million people, including those from inside Saudi Arabia.

The interior ministry said 1.75 million had arrived from abroad.—Reuters