Death Toll Among Tunisian Pilgrims Performing Hajj Rises to 53

Tunis, The Gulf Observer: The death toll among Tunisian pilgrims who performed Hajj in Saudi Arabia has risen to 53, Tunisia’s state television Wataniya 1 reported.

“Until this Saturday, the number of Tunisian pilgrims who died in holy places in Saudi Arabia while performing the Hajj rituals increased further from 49 to 53,” stated the report.

The Tunisian diplomatic mission in Riyadh and the consulate general in Jeddah are actively coordinating to monitor the situation of Tunisian pilgrims who are missing, deceased, or hospitalized in Saudi Arabia.

In a related development, Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed Ibrahim Chaibi, the minister of religious affairs, on Friday, without specifying the reason for the dismissal. Chaibi led the official Tunisian delegation to Saudi Arabia during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, tasked with supporting and assisting Tunisian pilgrims.

Chaibi attributed the loss of life to several factors, including extreme temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius, the significant presence of elderly pilgrims, and a high number of pilgrims with pre-existing illnesses.

Hajj, a fundamental pillar of Islam, is annually performed in Mecca by pilgrims from around the world. This year, the number of pilgrims exceeded 1.8 million, according to Saudi authorities.