800 workers clear pebbles from Jamarat

Okaz/Saudi Gazette MINA — The pebbles that miss the wall representing Satan end up outside the wall area and are collected by over 800 expatriate workers. The main task of the workers is to remove them from the ground so that barefoot pilgrims do not step on them. All five floors had workers who quickly did this job to protect pilgrims against being hurt. “It is not an easy job. I’ve been doing it for five years and the most difficult part is dealing with pilgrims of different nationalities, speaking different languages. The dangerous part is the possibility of being caught with a pebble in the head that missed the wall,” said Younis I., a Bangladeshi. Ramadan Z., another worker, believes the most difficult part is collecting the pebbles from the ground, especially on the second day of the ritual. “On this day, all floors become really crowded with pilgrims, the majority of whom want to throw the pebbles and head back to their homeland. They are all in a hurry,” Ramadan said. Sometimes, workers stop collecting the pebbles for fear that they get trampled on. Abdullah Shadi, the supervisor of workers, said the workers do three shifts and most of them suffer from exhaustion and fatigue.