At least 31 Muslim pilgrims die in Saudi Arabia as Hajj begins

No further information was given by authorities about the cause of their deaths, however, the Saudi Press Agency said that the deceased were all foreign nationals.

The annual Hajj pilgrimage draws around 2 to 4 million people each year to the Muslim holy city of Mecca.

Over 620,000 pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia by 12 August, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Last year, Saudi authorities have tightened security at pilgrimage sites following a deadly stampede that killed at least 2,297 pilgrims during 2015's Hajj.

This year, the annual Hajj takes place following a warning by the World Health Organisation in July that Yemen's cholera epidemic may put pilgrims to Saudi Arabia at risk.

Following two deadly incidents in September 2015, serious questions were raised about the competence of the Saudi authorities to manage the Hajj rituals.

Back then, over 100 pilgrims, including 11 Iranians, lost their lives when a massive construction crane collapsed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque. Thousands of people, including 465 Iranians, also perished in a human crush that same month.



/257