RIYADH: The Haj stoning ritual during which about 2,300 people died because of a stampede last year will be more tightly controlled during next month’s pilgrimage, Saudi newspapers reported on Wednesday.

The period during which pilgrims can perform the Jamarat will be reduced by 12 hours, the Saudi Gazette and Arab News said. The stoning will be performed as usual over three days.

But this year there will be no stoning allowed from 6am to 10.30am on the first day, 2pm to 6pm on the second day and 10.30am to 2pm on the final day, the Haj ministry said.

“This procedure will enable the pilgrims to throw stones easily and will prevent any stampede that may result from overcrowding,” the Saudi Gazette quoted ministry undersecretary Hussain al Sharif as saying.

The stampede was the worst disaster in Haj history. It occurred outside the five-storey Jamarat Bridge that is almost a kilometre long and allows 300,000 pilgrims an hour to carry out the ritual.

Pilgrims blamed the stampede on police road closures and poor management of the flow of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in searing temperatures.

In another crowd control move, pilgrims will not be allowed to perform Tawaf one hour before or after regular prayers at the Grand Mosque when they begin their Haj, the newspapers said.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2016