Death toll exceeds 1300 at Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has reported the deaths of over 1,300 pilgrims during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, stating that most of those who lost their lives had attended the annual religious event without proper legal authorization.
According to French news agency reports, 658 of the deceased were Egyptian citizens, with 630 of them lacking official permission for the Hajj pilgrimage.
The fatalities come from over 10 countries, with some countries still updating their lists of deceased citizens.
However, on Sunday, Saudi Arabia’s Health Minister stated that this year’s Hajj management has been “successful.”
A senior Saudi official also defended the country’s pilgrimage management this week, telling the French news agency, “The government did not fail, but there was a miscalculation on the part of those who did not assess the risks involved.”
According to this Saudi official, harsh weather conditions and extremely high temperatures were factors contributing to these deaths.
Saudi Arabia reported that 1.8 million pilgrims participated in this year’s Hajj, with 1.6 million coming from outside the country.
Mustafa Madbouly, the Prime Minister of Egypt, issued orders on Saturday to revoke the licenses of 16 tourism companies and referred their managers to the country’s judicial system on charges of “fraud.”
Under Saudi regulations for the Hajj pilgrimage, each pilgrim must pre-register and obtain a permit to participate in the event. However, hundreds of thousands attempt to perform the pilgrimage without obtaining the required permit yearly due to the exorbitant cost of Hajj permits.
Meanwhile, while Saudi Arabia touts the success of managing this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, the tragic deaths and the unauthorized participation underscore ongoing challenges and the need for stricter adherence to pilgrimage regulations to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants.
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