Riyadh Aug 19 (IANS) The Hajj season started on Sunday with the Day of Tarwiyah the first ritual of the holy pilgrimage in Mina a neighbourhood of the Islamic city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia with 1 966 461 pilgrims.

The General Authority for Statistics announced the figure on Saudi Press Agency with the total number of pilgrims to be announced on the evening of Arafat Day -- the most important Hajj ritual -- on Monday Xinhua news agency reported.

To ensure the safety of pilgrims a comprehensive security and safety plan has been set up to transport people between ritual sites.

Meanwhile the Health Ministry announced another plan to protect the well-being of pilgrims with the allocations of 25 hospitals and 155 health centres at all sites with a capacity of 5 000 beds 180 ambulances and 100 vehicles which were converted into ICU mobile units.

--IANS mag/sed