Egypt’s government announced on Saturday that it will prosecute 16 travel agencies and revoke their licenses over the deaths of Egyptians during this year’s Hajj in Mecca. The pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia saw over 1000 deaths, with extreme heat being a major contributing factor.
Temperatures soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius in Mecca during the annual event, where nearly 2 million Muslims had gathered. The Egyptian government stated that the high death toll among Egyptian pilgrims was due to some travel agencies sending unregistered pilgrims without proper visas.
This led pilgrims to take an unregistered route through the desert into Mecca, causing exhaustion and chronic diseases. The government documented 31 deaths among registered Egyptian pilgrims and blamed unregistered pilgrims for the majority of the fatalities.
The Egyptian cabinet ordered the prosecution of the 16 agencies responsible, revoking their licenses and imposing fines. Families of the deceased pilgrims blame the lack of organization from authorities for the tragic outcome.
What is the ‘unregistered’ pilgrimage route?
The unregistered route to Mecca is a recent phenomenon, driven by the introduction of tourist visas by Saudi Arabia. This route is favored for its lower cost compared to the official Hajj route.
Hajj is a fundamental pillar of Islam, and every able Muslim must perform it once in their lifetime.