Douala: 206 Muslim pilgrims return from Mecca

206 Muslim worshipers returning from the Hajj in Mecca landed at the Douala International Airport from Camair-Co's Boeing 767 "The DJA" shortly after midnight on Wednesday, October 7.

With smiles on their faces, some pilgrims carried copies of the Quran while dragging their suitcases bound for their homes.

By press time, the number of pilgrims who have returned as provided by a Camair-Co official was 1521 with 895 landing at Garoua and 626 in Douala.

Each airport has already received three airplanes from Mecca with another flight expected early Thursday morning in Douala. The figure is expected to rise as explained by a source with the national airline responsible for the pilgrims landing in Douala.

For Garoua, flights of pilgrims are operated by a company chartered by Saudi Arabia, "according to the contract which stipulates that the country must carry at least half of the pilgrims," ??said the source.

The pilgrims who disembarked in the economic capital in the early hours of Wednesday waited in a dedicated room while officials were working with the formalities. This served as an opportunity for Yérima Adamou Salé to pray before expressing his joy to be back in his country: "Many of us did not return. Some with whom we shared the same room were killed" during the deadly stampedes in Mina, he notes, not without emotion.

"We who returned thank God for everything. We had a very difficult time," said Adamou Yérima. Other pilgrims expressed gratitude to the authorities for the arrangements made to ensure their return home in the best conditions.

A pilgrim said others are waiting at their place of housing in Mecca where they await their flight.