Death toll among Egyptian pilgrims ups to 80 in Saudi Arabia

Death toll among Egyptians on hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia this year has climbed to 80, Egypt’s Health Ministry said Sunday.

A 60-year-old man died from a heart attack at dawn on Sunday, the head of Egypt’s hajj medical commission Ahmed El-Ansary 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.

Last year, 43 Egyptians died of natural causes during the pilgrimage.

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

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

Source: Ahram online