The death toll of Egyptian hajj pilgrims to Mecca has risen to 44, an interior ministry official told state news agency MENA on Tuesday. Major General Shaker El-Kayal said no cases of epidemic or viral diseases had been reported among Egyptian pilgrims. He did not give further details. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims from around the globe travel to Saudi Arabia every year to perform the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. The hajj began this year on Thursday. Dozens of pilgrims die during the hajj every year, often caused by to fatigue or crowd stampedes at religious sites. One of the five major pillars of Islam, hajj must be performed at least once in a lifetime by all Muslims who can afford the costly and difficult trip. Saudi Arabia said last week it had received over a million pilgrims from overseas, according to the Saudi News Agency. Source : Ahram online
