The number of deceased Tunisian pilgrims has risen to 35 as of Tuesday, including 5 pilgrims who came through the draw and 30 who came on a tourist, visit or Umrah visa, according to data received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad from the Tunisian Consulate General in Jeddah.
The diplomatic mission in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah are coordinating with the competent Saudi authorities and the families of the pilgrims in order to complete the procedures related to their burial, the ministry said in a statement.
The consular mission is currently coordinating with the head of the Tunisian health mission to visit a number of hospitals in the Mecca area to count the number of sick and lost residents.
It said that since the beginning of the Hajj season, it has been stressed that all Tunisian pilgrims coming on tourist, visit or Umrah visas should be accepted when they come to the camps in the holy sites to seek medical care or food and shelter for their lost ones.
This is within the framework of the principle of equality between all citizens, regardless of how they came to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj rituals, it added.
The ministry pointed out that this year’s Hajj season coincided with a sharp rise in temperatures in Makkah and the presence of a large number of pilgrims from different nationalities on tourist, visit or Umrah visas, who travelled long distances to the holy sites under the scorching sun.
