Muslim worshippers, some carrying umbrellas to protect them from the scorching sun, gather for prayer at Namirah mosque near Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahmah (Mount of Mercy), where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his final sermon, on August 31, 2017 AFP
Egypt's health ministry said Saturday that further deaths among Egyptians while on the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, and during the first and second days of Islam's major festival of Eid Al-Adha, has brought the total number so far to 35.
The new deaths were due to "fatigue, hard effort and old age," the head of Egypt's hajj medical commission Ahmed El-Ansary said, according to state-run news agency MENA.
He added that the ages of those dead range from 60 to 85.
Some 53 more Egyptian pilgrims are being treated for fatigue, diabetes and blood pressure problems in Saudi hospitals, El-Ansary said.
Deaths from heat exhaustion, fatigue and other natural causes are a common occurrence among pilgrims on the hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Last year, 43 Egyptians died of natural causes during the pilgrimage.
Saudi authorities say more than two million Muslims are expected to participate in this year's hajj.
Friday marked the first day of the Eid Al-Adha festival, one of the two most important festivals of the Islamic calendar.
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