TUNIS, June 18 (Xinhua) — At least 35 Tunisian citizens died during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.
“The diplomatic mission in Riyadh and the consulate general in Jeddah are currently coordinating with concerned Saudi authorities as well as with the families of the deceased in order to be able to finalize the procedures for their burial,” the ministry said in a statement.
This year’s Hajj pilgrimage coincided with a sharp rise in temperatures in Mecca and the presence of a large number of pilgrims of various nationalities “who move long distances to the holy places under the rays of the scorching sun,” the ministry noted.
Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday that the number of pilgrims performing Hajj rituals in the country exceeded 1.8 million this year.
