Mena - Up to two million Muslim pilgrims camped on the plains of Mena in Saudi Arabia yesterday, the eve of the climax to this year's haj pilgrimage.
Dressed in their seamless white sheets, many pilgrims prepared for the night in specially erected fire-proof tents on the plain, where a blaze killed 343 people in 1997.
The pilgrims from around 100 countries trekked to Mena yesterday, amid massive efforts by the Saudi authorities to prevent a repeat of previous tragedies which have marred the religious event.