Mecca pilgrimage: Hajj pilgrims to wear high-tech electronic bracelets for safety - TomoNews
MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA — Saudi Arabia may be introducing a high-tech safety measure for Hajj pilgrims, after a stampede during last year’s annual pilgrimage killed more than 700 people. Reuters reports that according to the Saudi Press Agency, Muslims who flock to the holy city of Mecca yearly may soon be wearing electronic identification bracelets for protection. The water-resistant and GPS-enabled e-bracelets will contain personal and medical information to help authorities identify and care for individuals in the event of an emergency. Other features of the bracelet are prayer alerts, which notify worshippers of prayer times, and a compass to indicate which direction to face when praying. A guide to pilgrimage steps and various rituals will also be included, as well as language support for non-Arabic speakers. Apart from the bracelets, nearly 1,000 surveillance cameras have been installed around the Grand Mosque for added security. The annual Mecca pilgrimage is scheduled for August and attended by more than two million Muslims from around the world. ----------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off. Visit our official website for all the latest, uncensored videos: http://us.tomonews.com Check out our Android app: http://bit.ly/1rddhCj Check out our iOS app: http://bit.ly/1gO3z1f Get top stories delivered to your inbox everyday: http://bit.ly/tomo-newsletter Stay connected with us here: Facebook / tomonewsus Twitter @tomonewsus / tomonewsus Google+ http://plus.google.com/+TomoNewsUS/ Instagram @tomonewsus / tomonewsus ~-~~-~~~-~~-~ Please watch: "Crying dog breaks the internet’s heart — but this sad dog story has a happy ending" • Video ~-~~-~~~-~~-~
