RIYADH (Dateline News) – The Ministry of Religious Affairs has confirmed deaths of 35 Pakistani pilgrims.
According to Hajj Mission DG Abdul Wahab Soomro, nine Pakistanis died in Mashair, four in Mina, three in Arafat and two in Muzdalifah.
The Hajj DG says 20 Pakistani pilgrims lost their lives in Makkah and six in Medina.
The DG said the deaths were caused by intense temperature of 50 degrees Celsius. He said the allegation that the pilgrims were not taken care of was unfounded.
He said the dead bodies were notified by the Saudi government and arrangements of burials were made in accordance with wishes of the families of the deceased. Arrangements of bringing the bodies to Pakistan had also been made, Soomro said.
The Saudi government, he said, had always cooperated with the Pakistan government in such matters.
Death toll surpasses 1,000
AFP reports that the death toll from this year’s Hajj has exceeded 1,000. It says more than half of them were unregistered worshippers who performed the pilgrimage in extreme heat in Saudi Arabia.
The new deaths reported on Thursday included 58 from Egypt, according to an Arab diplomat who provided a breakdown showing that of 658 Egyptians who passed away, 630 were unregistered pilgrims.
All told, around 10 countries have reported 1,081 deaths during the annual pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam which all Muslims with the means must complete at least once.
The figures have come via official statements or from diplomats working on their countries’ responses.
