- The deceased pilgrims belong to more than 10 countries, including the United States.
- Hajj was 'successful' despite mass deaths, says Saudi minister.
- 1.8 million pilgrims participated in the Hajj this year: Saudi officials.
Saudi Arabia said on Sunday that the death toll of Hajj pilgrims exceeded 1,300 as they performed the pilgrimage in extreme heat and most of those who died did not have official permits.
“Unfortunately, the death toll reached 1,301, of whom 83% were not authorized to perform Hajj and had walked long distances in direct sunlight, without proper shelter and comfort,” the official said. Saudi Press Agency reported.
The deceased pilgrims were from more than 10 countries, from the United States to Indonesia, and some governments are still updating their figures.
According to Arab diplomats last week, Egyptians accounted for 658 deaths, among which 630 were unregistered pilgrims.
They said the cause of death in most cases was heat-related, with temperatures in Mecca this year reaching 51.8C, according to Saudi Arabia's national meteorological center.
Riyadh had not commented publicly on the deaths or provided its own toll as of Sunday.
However, on Friday, a senior Saudi official gave a partial toll of 577 deaths during the two busiest days of the Hajj: June 15, when pilgrims gathered for hours of prayer under the scorching sun on Mount Arafat, and on June 16, when they participated in the “stoning of the devil” ritual in Mina.
The official also defended Riyadh's response, saying: “The state did not fail, but there was an error in judgment on the part of the people who did not appreciate the risks.”
Saudi Health Minister Fahd Al Jalajel described the management of this year's Hajj as “successful” on Sunday. SPA reported.
He said the health system “provided more than 465,000 specialized treatment services, including 141,000 services to those who did not obtain official permission to perform the Hajj,” according to SPAwhich summarized an interview he gave to Saudi Arabia's Al Ekhbariya channel.
Saudi officials have said that 1.8 million pilgrims participated this year, a similar number to last year, and that 1.6 million came from abroad.
