More than 1,000 people died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced extreme high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, officials said yesterday. More than half of the fatalities were people from Egypt, according to two officials in Cairo. Egypt revoked the licences of 16 travel agencies that helped unauthorised pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia, authorities said. Saudi Arabia has not commented on the deaths during the pilgrimage, which is required of every able Muslim once in their life. The Egyptian government announced the death of 31 authorised pilgrims due to chronic diseases during this year’s Hajj, but didn’t offer an official tally for other pilgrims. However, a Cabinet official said that at least 630 other Egyptians died during the pilgrimage, with most reported at the Emergency Complex in Mecca’s Al-Muaisem neighbourhood. Confirming the tally, an Egyptian diplomat said most of the dead have been buried in Saudi Arabia. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief journalists. Saudi authorities cracked down on unauthorised pilgrims, expelling tens of thousands of people. But many, mostly Egyptians, managed to reach holy sites in and around Mecca, some on foot. Unlike authorised pilgrims, they had no hotels to escape from the scorching heat. In its statement, the government said the 16 travel agencies failed to provide adequate services for pilgrims. It said these agencies illegally facilitated the travel of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia using visas that don’t allow holders to travel to Mecca. Post navigation Nigerians must stick together, keep hope alive – Tinubu-Ojo Tinubu’s passion for masses inspiring his aides
