CAIRO: According to Saudi Arabia’s health minister Fahad Al-Jalajel, 1,301 persons died during this year’s Haj trip.
According to the minister, who was cited by state media, pilgrims “walking long distances under direct sunlight without adequate shelter or comfort” are what kill them.
A number of elderly folks and those with chronic illnesses were also among the fatalities. According to him, those who were not authorized to make the journey accounted for almost 83% of the fatalities.
Egyptians made up the majority of the dead. According to security and medical officials, 25 more people were reported missing and the death toll in Egypt had increased to 672 on Sunday.
Data from the Indonesian government shows that 236 people perished overall, whereas the External Affairs department of India reported that 98 Indian citizens perished during the Haj.
According to a count, further deaths were reported from Senegal, Iran, Jordan, Tunisia, and Jordan, bringing the total number of deaths this year to at least 1,114.
The public prosecutor has been tasked with investigating the situation by an Egyptian crisis unit, which said on Saturday that it has suspended the licenses of sixteen tourism companies and accused them of being responsible for deaths that it said were primarily among unregistered pilgrims.
According to the institution, among pilgrims who were formally registered, 31 deaths were proven to have resulted from chronic illness.
