JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The road to Mecca is a mess.
Heavy rain during Islam's annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia has caused a traffic jam about 20 miles long on the flooded road. Some pilgrims and journalists are trapped in Jiddah, which has been swamped with almost 3 inches of rain. Weather officials says that's more than the city gets in an average year.
Some pilgrims are wearing face masks because they fear the spread of swine flu. A consultant from the Centers for Disease Control says it's too early to tell if the rains could worsen the spread of H1N1, which is transmitted in the air, not by water.
A World Health Organization official says there's no evidence the rain will cause a swine flu outbreak. He says it could even be beneficial if it means smaller crowds.
%@AP Links
<<APPHOTO CAI105 (11/25/09)>>
: Pilgrims attending the hajj walk on flooded streets during heavy rains in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009. The heaviest rainstorms to hit Islam's annual hajj in years soaked pilgrims and flooded the road into Mecca, snarling traffic as millions of Muslims headed for the holy sites and added an extra hazard on top of intense concerns about the spread of swine flu.
