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Toll of Egyptians who passed away throughout haj expedition rises, sources say

A minimum of 530 Egyptians have died taking part in the haj and another 31 are missing as severe heat strikes the yearly Muslim trip to Capital, medical and security sources informed on Thursday.

Hundreds of individuals from various countries have passed away in current days in penalizing conditions at the Saudi Arabian city, where temperature levels have at times skyrocketed past 51 degrees Celsius ( 124 Fahrenheit).

The medical source, who was with the main Egyptian haj delegation, said the majority of those who passed away were not officially registered for the occasion with the authorities, which implied they might not access tents.

A witness stated countless pilgrims lay on the streets, exposed to the sun, on the reach Mount Arafat, one of the integral routines of the journey.

The bodies of dead pilgrims were later on covered with Ihram fabric - a basic clothes worn by pilgrims - up until medical automobiles gotten here, the witness said.

The 5th pillar of Islam, the haj is mandatory once in a lifetime for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it and is the most considerable manifestation of Islamic faith and unity. This year's occasion, which started last Friday, is expected to draw almost 2 million pilgrims.

Environment scientists have actually said rising temperatures pose a. growing danger to the occasion, although heat-related deaths along. the haj are not new, and have actually been tape-recorded back to the 1400s.

Egyptian authorities have actually not validated the number of. deaths.

The foreign ministry and emigration ministry have actually stated they. are complying with Saudi officials in acting on the. search for missing out on Egyptians and on reports regarding. casualties.

(source: Reuters)