The last group of pilgrims returned home to northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Thursday after their pilgrimage to Mecca.

More than 1,000 Muslim pilgrims, including 300 women, survived the January 12 stampede tragedy in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, said Ding Baojiang, an official with the Religious Affairs Administration of Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia, on Friday.

The tragedy in Mecca left at least 350 dead, including four Chinese, and nearly 400 others injured. The stampede was caused by thousands of pilgrims rushing to complete a symbolic stoning ritual of the Hajj.

Statistics show that more than 2.8 million pilgrims from around the world thronged the Muslim holy city.

Ding said that Ningxia recorded the largest number of pilgrims in years for this pilgrimage.

Ningxia is home to over 2 million Muslims, accounting for 33 percent of China's Muslim population, according to Ding.

There are about 2,300 mosques, almost one in every village, he said.

 (Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2006)