The Scotsman

More than 1,000 died during Hajj pilgrimage as temperatur­es hit up to 49C

More than 1,000 people died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced temperatur­es of up to 49C at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, officials have said.

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 did not offer an official tally for other pilgrims.

However, a cabinet official said at least 630 other Egyptians died during the pilgrimage, with most reported at the emergency complex in Mecca’s Al-muaisem area. Confirming the tally, an Egyptian diplomat said most of the dead have been buried in Saudi Arabia . 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 do not allow holders to travel to Mecca .

The government also said officials from the companies have been referred to the public prosecutor for investigat­ions.

The fatalities also included 165 pilgrims from Indonesia , 98 from India and dozens more from Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Malaysia, according to reports. Two US pilgrims were also reported dead.

During the Hajj period, temperatur­es ranged between 46C and 49C in Mecca and sacred sites in and around the city, according to the Saudi National Centre for Meteorolog­y.