Heat-related illnesses reportedly caused the majority of the deaths.
At least 323 of those who died were Egyptian, most of them succumbing to heat-related illnesses, two Arab diplomats coordinating their countries' responses told the Agence France-Press. The total figure came from the hospital morgue in the Al-Muaisem neighbourhood of Mecca. At least 60 Jordanians also died, the diplomats said. Other countries to report deaths included Indonesia, Iran and Senegal.
At least 240 pilgrims were reported dead by various countries last year, most of them Indonesian. Around 1.8 million pilgrims took part in the hajj this year, 1.6 million of them from abroad. Each year, tens of thousands of pilgrims attempt to perform the hajj through irregular channels as they cannot afford the often costly procedures for official hajj visas. This places them at risk as they cannot access air-conditioned facilities provided by Saudi authorities along the hajj route.
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