
Pilgrims walk by the site where pilgrims were crushed and trampled to death during the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mina, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015 (AP)
Egypt's health ministry has said that the death toll among Egyptian pilgrims carrying out the hajj in Saudi Arabia this year has reached eight, state-run news agency MENA reported on Friday.
A 65-year-old woman died on Friday of acute circulatory failure while in her hotel room, the head of Egypt's hajj medical commission Ahmed El-Ansary said.
Earlier in the day, another 60-year-old women died of a myocardial infraction as she entered her hotel.
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 from natural causes during the pilgrimage.
Saudi authorities say more than two million Muslims are expected to participate in this year's hajj, which starts next week.
More than 1.4 million Muslims have so far arrived in the kingdom.
Around 80,000 Egyptian pilgrims are expected to perform the hajj this year, Egyptian officials said.
All Muslims who are able are required to complete the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
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