Death toll among Egyptian pilgrims jumps to 82 in Saudi Arabia

The death toll among Egyptians on the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia this year has climbed to 82, Egypt’s Health Ministry announced on Monday.

An 85-year-old woman from Aswan died from cardiac arrest while she was in hospital in Medina, the deputy-head of Egypt’s hajj medical commission Mohamed Shawky said, according to state-run news agency MENA.

Deaths from heat exhaustion, fatigue and other natural causes are a common occurrence among pilgrims on the hajj in Saudi Arabia.

More than 100,000 Egyptian pilgrims performed the hajj this year, according to housing minister Moustafa Madbouly, who heads the Egyptian hajj delegation.

Saudi authorities said more than 2.3 million Muslims participated in this year’s hajj.

All Muslims who are able to do so are requird by Islam to perform the hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, at least once in their lifetime.

Source: Ahram online