1,301 hajj deaths, primarily from unregistered pilgrims, according to Saudi
The minister claimed that pilgrims "walking long distances under direct sunlight without adequate shelter or comfort" were the reason behind deaths, as reported by state television.
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia announced that over 1,300 pilgrims perished during the harsh heat-related hajj, with the majority of the dead lacking legal licenses.
"Regrettably, the number of mortalities reached 1,301, with 83 percent being unauthorised to perform hajj and having walked long distances under direct sunlight, without adequate shelter or comfort," according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Based on official comments and reports from diplomats participating in their nations' responses, an AFP assessment last week estimated the death toll at above 1,100.
From the United States to Indonesia, more than ten nations contributed to the dead, and several governments are still updating their tolls.
Last Monday, Arab diplomats informed AFP that 658 of the deaths were Egyptian deaths -- 630 of them unregistered pilgrims.
According to the diplomats, heat-related deaths accounted for the majority of instances.
A senior Saudi official, however, provided AFP on Friday with a partial mortality toll of 577 for the two busiest days of the hajj: June 15, when pilgrims gathered on Mount Arafat for hours of prayer under the scorching heat, and June 16, when they took part in the "stoning of the devil" ceremony in Mina.
"The state did not fail, but there was a misjudgement on the part of people who did not appreciate the risks," the official added in defense of Riyadh's response.
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