The death toll among Egyptians on the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia this year has reached 101, Egypt's health ministry announced on Friday, state run news agency MENA reported. 9 Egyptian pilgrims have died on Friday, the deputy-head of Egypt's hajj medical commission Mohamed Shawky said. An 67-year-old woman from Qaliubiya, an 65 -year-old woman from Beni Sueif, an 62 -year-old woman from Giza governorate, an 69 -year-old woman from Assiut, an 49 -year-old woman from Dakahliya, an 62 -year-old man from Alexandria, an 75 -year-old man from Damietta, and an 51 -year-old woman from Gharbeiya governorate all died from cardiac arrest and travel fatigue on their way back to Egypt, in Jordan's Akaba. A ninth case of a woman from Gharbiya died from cardiac arrest while in hospital in Mecca, Shawky added. Deaths from heat exhaustion, fatigue and other natural causes are a common occurrence among pilgrims on the hajj in Saudi Arabia. This year's number of deaths among Egyptians are much higher than before, in 2016, 43 Egyptians died of natural causes during the pilgrimage. More than 100,000 Egyptian pilgrims performed the hajj this year, according to housing minister Mostafa Madbouly, who heads the Egyptian hajj delegation. Saudi authorities said more than 2.3 million Muslims participated in this year's hajj. All Muslims who are able to do so are required by Islam to perform the hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, at least once in their lifetime.
