Scientific solution to protect pilgrims from Mecca
2007/01/22 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia
Last year, hundreds of people died in Mecca on the annual Hajj pilgrimage, crushed by the crowd itself. This year, however, there have been no deaths thanks to the work of some German engineers who analyzed the dynamics of the crowds through the videos. The main problem lies in the Jamarat bridge, where 362 were killed last year, and two measures were proposed to address the risk of the crowd. On the one hand, an appropriate one-way itinerary was defined so that the dynamics of people were not dangerous. This year, the authorities force pilgrims to follow this route. On the other hand, the bridge itself is being transformed, adapting the structure so that it does not have a single entrance. The bridge will be as seen in the image once the work is finished. Photo: Dirk Helbing
