After hundreds of pilgrims died in the scorching desert heat during the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, the Egyptian government on Saturday announced it was suspending the licenses of 16 travel agencies that facilitated the some people make pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia.
At least 450 people have died during this year’s pilgrimage as visitors endured extreme temperatures Temperatures range from 108 degrees to 120 degrees F (42 to 49 degrees C). However, the actual death toll is expected to rise as governments get more accurate figures on the death toll. (Egypt officially admits only 31 deaths.)
In announcing the suspension of 16 travel companies, the Egyptian government said these businesses had failed to provide pilgrims with important services such as medical care. They said the companies failed to provide pilgrims with “suitable accommodation”, leaving them “exhausted by high temperatures”.
Reuters reported that some travel companies may not have officially registered their pilgrimage to avoid the high costs of package tours. And, Reuters said, the companies were blamed for allowing pilgrims to enter Saudi Arabia on personal visas, rather than hajj visas, which allow access to medical care and holy places. land.
Mahmoud Qassem, a member of the Egyptian Parliament, said travel companies “left pilgrims stranded and turned off their mobile phones” so they could not hear tourists’ cries for help.
There were also complaints that pilgrims did not have access to enough cooling stations or drinking water amid the intense heat.
The number of unregistered visitors – combined with the intense heat of the desert – could leave Saudi Arabia unprepared to deal with such a large influx of people.
The Tunisian government said that the number of pilgrims from that country who have died is expected to rise from the 49 reported on Friday, as the number of people traveling on tourist visas becomes clearer.
Hajj has been the scene of many tragedies, including a 2015 stampede that left people dead. more than 2,200 people. In recent years, with rising temperatures, many pilgrims also cannot tolerate heat stress.
The Saudi government said that during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, more than 1.8 million Muslims went to Mecca, including 1.6 million from outside Saudi Arabia.
Hager Al-Hakeem contributed reporting from Luxor, Egypt.
