Over 1,300 People Lost Their Lives While Performing The Hajj, Many Of Them From Walking In The Intense Heat

Saudi authorities revealed on Sunday that over 1,300 individuals lost their lives during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia this year due to the extremely high temperatures experienced by the devout at Islamic holy sites in the desert state.

According to Saudi Health Minister Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel, 83% of the 1,301 fatalities were unregistered pilgrims who traveled great distances in intense heat to complete the Hajj rites in and around Mecca.

The minister added that 95 pilgrims were receiving medical attention in hospitals, with some of them being airlifted to the capital, Riyadh, in an interview with the state-run television station Al Ekhbariya TV. He claimed that the lack of identity papers for a large number of the deceased pilgrims was the reason why the identification procedure was delayed.

He did not elaborate when he mentioned that the deceased were interred in Mecca.

Among the dead were about 660 Egyptians. Two officials in Cairo said that all but 31 of them were unapproved pilgrims. According to officials, Egypt has cancelled the licenses of sixteen travel companies that assisted unapproved pilgrims in entering Saudi Arabia.