More than 1,300 died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, with some blaming soaring temperatures

More than half of the fatalities were people from Egypt. Mohammed Torokman/Reuters/File photo

Samy Magdy

More than 1,300 people died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia as the faithful faced extreme high temperatures at Islamic holy sites in the desert kingdom, officials have said.

More than half of the fatalities were people from Egypt, according to two officials in Cairo. Egypt revoked the licences of 16 travel agencies that helped unauthorised pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia, authorities said.