Hundreds of pilgrims have died during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia. The arduous pilgrimage is being carried out this year in very high temperatures.
At least 600 of the deceased were Egyptians, according to an Arab diplomat for AFP. Almost all of the deaths are reported to be linked to the heat, and the temperature is said to have reached over 51 degrees on Monday.
At least 60 Jordanians have also died, according to two Arab diplomats earlier. According to sources, at least 550 bodies had been taken to the morgue in al-Muaisem, one of the largest in Mecca.
On Tuesday, Egypt's Foreign Ministry announced that it is cooperating with Saudi authorities on search efforts for Egyptians who have gone missing in connection with the Hajj.
The pilgrimage of Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which form the foundation of the religion. During the pilgrimage, several rituals are performed. Pilgrims, for example, walk seven times around the cube-shaped building of the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque. The devil is also symbolically stoned to death.
