A total of 133 foreign Arab pilgrims died, while 213 others have been admitted to hospitals during this Haj season, media reported Saturday.The highest number of deaths was reported among Egyptian pilgrims, with 14 deaths and 81 hospitalisation cases, a statistical report issued by the Tawafa Organisation for Pilgrims from Arab Countries said. Apart from the Egyptians, among the dead were pilgrims from Iraq, Algeria, Sudan, Morocco, Somalia, Yemen, Jordan and Mauritania, Arab News reported citing the report.The Saudi health ministry, meanwhile, said 56 percent of deaths during the Haj season were caused by heart and lung diseases.
Faisal Nouh, chairman of the organisation, said that some of the hospitalised pilgrims have been released, while pilgrims who were unable to move have been transported by ambulance to perform Haj rites. More than 265,000 pilgrims from Arab countries arrived in Saudi Arabia to perform Haj this year. The majority of pilgrims have come from Egypt, followed by Algeria, Morocco and Iraq.Meanwhile, government-run hospitals at the holy sites have carried out a series of surgical operations on pilgrims, including five open-heart operations.In a four-day period, medical teams from the ministry conducted other operations, including 82 cardiac catheterisations and 349 kidney dialysis procedures and 23 binoculars, the ministry said.Some 70,721 pilgrims visited health facilities in Makkah and Madinah in the last four days.